


Never Let You Go

by pikaace



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Cloud and Prompto are 16, Cloud and Prompto are brothers, Cloud wasn't poisoned by mako, Crossover, Divorce, Everyone's happy AU, FFVII x FFXV, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Gen, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kinda Original Female Character, Oh and Cloud's mom is named Claudia, Pre-Canon, Pre-Nibelheim Incident (Compilation of FFVII), Prompto wasn't a magitek, Team as Family, a fusion of those two, and it likely won't ever happen, and the 1961 version, based on the name she had in her concept art, basically that era, cause Cloud's mom has like, no development or screentime, papa!Cor, the main FFVII party are all AVALANCHE now, they had normal childhoods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 40,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23461663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikaace/pseuds/pikaace
Summary: It was supposed to be a regular camping trip. But can you call it regular when you suddenly run into your long lost twin by sheer coincidence?Or, the Parent Trap AU no one asked for.
Relationships: Clarus Amicitia & Cor Leonis, Clarus Amicitia & Cor Leonis & Regis Lucis Caelum, Cloud Strife & Cloud Strife's Mother, Cloud Strife & Everyone, Cor Leonis & Regis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Cloud Strife, Prompto Argentum & Cor Leonis, Prompto Argentum & Everyone
Comments: 53
Kudos: 208





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, it started with me adoring the concept of Cloud and Prompto being brothers. Then I realized that Cloud has a single Mom and Cor is always Prompto's Dad and it just mutated into this. ...Enjoy!

Nestled in the grasslands in the country of Gaia, just a short flight away from the land of Eos, is a camp. A place for young boys to spend the summer learning what it’s like to be a soldier in the army. Some call it a boot-camp, others call it a more intense kind of summer camp. 

Regardless, it was a place for boys between the ages of 13-16 to get out of their environment, meet new people, and train any combat skills they had or even learn new ones. It was strict enough to not be a walk in the park but relaxed enough that newcomers who had never held a weapon in their life would be able to assimilate. 

As floods of teen boys ventured to the large haven, which was already set up with tents and all the other basic necessities, one boy with spiky blonde hair got off the back of an old truck that had just come from the train station from Nibelheim. 

Hefting his large Buster Sword on his back and his duffel on his arm, Cloud stared disinterestedly at the sight around him. This honestly was not how he thought he would be spending his summer, but if he went back Tifa would kick his ass. 

“It’s just a simple little training camp,” Tifa had said, once he got it out of her that she had signed him up without his consent. “You’ve been taking on missions nonstop lately, so just relax for once in your life.” 

Any protest Cloud made was met with a stone wall of rejection; all his friends in AVALANCHE and even his own mother betrayed him to this fate. 

“Tifa’s right, this will be good for you,” His mother had said. “Go to this camp and try to make some friends; you might be surprised at who you’ll meet.” 

“Who could possibly surprise me here?” Cloud mumbled. He walked to one of the Section Leaders and got his tent assignment; hopefully, there would at least be someone good in a fight here.

* * *

No sooner had Cloud walked away, a bus from the nearest airship station from Lucis pulled up. A handful of boys piled out, including one with softer spiky blonde hair. 

Prompto grabbed his duffle and breathed in the fresh air, “Okay, successfully made it,” He said. “Now to make the most of it.” 

Prompto was quite excited to be here; sure no camp in the world would ever be able to beat the annual camping trip he took with Noct, Gladio, and Ignis, but this place seemed decent enough. 

He had heard about this place through a flier someone put up on the last day of school. Noct wasn’t a fan of camping for a long period of time, so he let Prompto keep the flier and show it to his dad, Cor, who seemed quite interested in the idea. 

“Maybe you can try and pick up some new skills,” Cor had said. “It never hurts to have more than one weapon in the Armiger.” 

While Noct wasn’t thrilled that he was losing his best friend for nearly the whole summer, Prompto promised him that they would spend every waking moment together when he got back. 

As he walked towards the array of tents, Prompto pulled out his camera, taking a few shots to document his first day. There was no phone service, unfortunately, so he couldn’t send any to Noct or his Dad, but that was fine with him. It gave him an excuse to use his new professional camera instead of just his phone. 

“Alright, camp,” Prompto said, heading to get his tent assignment. “Let’s see what you’re made of.”

* * *

The first few days of camp were nothing special. Rules were laid down, introductions were made, and activities began. 

Now because the camp is so crowded and rowdy most of the time, it’s easy for two people to miss each other one second and then see each other the next. On the third day, the camp decided to finally have Cloud and Prompto heading to the meal line at the same time. 

Cloud was bored; not that he wasn’t expecting to be. He knew this was a bad idea and he had a feeling he would be miserable until this stupid camp was over. Cloud sighed as he walked to one side of the table to pick out his food; at least he would have the satisfaction of rubbing it in Tifa’s face later. 

Prompto was honestly caught in a weird middle place. On one hand, getting to try new weapons and show off his marksman skills was great and all, but outside that, this place was...dull. Probably because he was surrounded by strangers rather than his usual circle of friends. Not to mention he hadn’t had any luck finding any good photo ops. Prompto grimaced as he looked at the camp food to choose from; maybe he should take some pictures of these for Iggy. His reactions would be hilarious. 

The two boys moved along the table, getting the food they desired, but when they came to the end to get the proper silverware, their hands brushed, making them jump. 

Two pairs of blue eyes met and widened instantly. They looked each other up and down, almost not believing what they were seeing. 

“Whoa…” Prompto said. 

Cloud honestly had no idea how to react other than with confusion. How was there someone standing right in front of him that looked just like him? Even down to the hair! 

Both were too stunned to say something, and it soon became apparent that they were holding up the line, so they simply took their trays and went their separate ways. 

When Prompto finds a spot at a table among a bunch of other boys, the realization finally hits him full force. He just saw someone that looked almost exactly like him! How was that possible?! He didn’t just imagine that, did he?! 

Prompto looked around the area until he spied a head of spiky hair a few tables behind him. As luck would have it, his lookalike was looking at him too. His expression was stony, but also looked confused. His lookalike quickly turned away and Prompto did the same. This required further investigation. 

Once meals were finished, Prompto managed to spot his lookalike already heading away from the crowd. Prompto hurried through the mass of boys after him, “Hey!” He called. “Wait up!” Cloud continued walking like he didn’t hear anything, until Prompto appeared right in his path, forcing him to stop. 

“Hey,” Prompto said with an easy grin. 

“...Hey,” Cloud responded. Silence enveloped them. 

“So uh...aren’t you gonna ask about it?” Prompto eventually asked. 

“Ask about what?” 

“Dude, we look the same!” Prompto exclaimed. “Don’t tell me you’re not at least a little curious.” 

Cloud folded his arms, “I really couldn’t care less,” He said in a bored tone. “Probably just a coincidence.” 

“Seriously?” Prompto asked. “Our faces, our freckles, our height, and our freaking hair, all being exactly the same, is all just a coincidence?!” 

Cloud suddenly put a hand on his face, flushing a bit; his freckles were showing?! They hadn’t shown up since he was little! Damn summer sun…!

“See, you  _ are  _ curious!” Prompto said. 

“First of all, I am not,” Cloud responded hotly. “And second of all, we aren’t  _ exactly  _ the same!” 

“I didn’t mean literally,” Prompto pouted. 

“Whatever,” Cloud pushed past Prompto. “I have better things to do than to listen to this.” 

Prompto scoffed and watched him go, “Geez, you try to be friendly…” Prompto didn’t pursue him; he had already decided he wasn’t worth it, lookalike or not.

* * *

The week came to an end and Cloud and Prompto generally avoided each other; or rather, Cloud avoided Prompto and just about everyone around him, something that Prompto noticed very quickly. The guy was a loner to the highest degree. Did he even have friends? Actually, through whispers from the other boys, Cloud was apparently part of a group of mercenaries. So he did have friends...did that count as friends? 

Prompto was snapped out of his thoughts when he looked up and saw Cloud a little ways away, doing squats. A few other boys were watching with either surprise or concern and Prompto heard them whispering. 

“He’s been at it for the past hour,” 

“He’s done this for the whole week at some point; I heard that nothing can get him to stop,” 

“Really? He looks so focused…” 

“I know; I don’t think anything can break his concentration…” 

Prompto felt a mischievous smile come to his face; nothing could break his concentration? Well, Prompto, the Master of Distractions, was about to prove that fact wrong. He hurried away and ran back to his tent. Grabbing his camera, he snuck back over towards Cloud, his finger hovering over the right button. 

After waiting a few moments, he leaped out in front of Cloud while he was in the middle of another squat.

“Boo!” Prompto activated the flash from his camera right in his face. Cloud blinked and flinched before his balance left him, making him flail a bit before falling backwards right into a mud puddle. 

A few boys around him snickered and Prompto couldn’t help but chuckle too. “Whoops,” He said with a shrug and hurried away, proud of his victory. 

Cloud glared at his retreating form before picking himself up. “So...that’s the way it is, huh?” He muttered, wiping the mud off his hands. “Then let the games begin…” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Prompto are at each other's throats; something had to go wrong eventually

One of the nice things about the haven during the day was the number of things around and outside the campsite. One of those things was a lovely lake complete with a dock. Cloud had to admit, it was peaceful...at least when he was the only one there. 

At the moment, a handful of boys were on the dock while Cloud hung around the shore. A flash of blonde caught his eye and Cloud saw that Prompto was among them, taking in the view. Despite how talkative Prompto seemed, he never saw him hanging out with anyone, just himself. Although that stunt he pulled with the mud puddle certainly garnered him some attention.

This, of course, had gotten the boys talking, and Cloud happened to overhear that Prompto was the son of a Marshal in Insomnia. Seriously? He sure didn’t act like it. Maybe that’s why he was sent here, to get rid of that annoying peppy attitude that he seemed to constantly exude. 

Cloud saw Prompto squat at the edge of the dock and a feeling of mischief suddenly bubbled up inside him. Quickly and quietly, Cloud strode onto the dock and made his way towards Prompto, the other boy having not noticed him. 

“Totally bringing my camera next time,” Prompto said to himself. “Noct would love this place.” 

Prompto leaned forward to get a closer look at the fish swimming near the surface and Cloud raised his boot, giving his rear a push. Prompto yelped and flailed before falling over the edge and onto his face into the shallow water. The boys on the dock all laughed. 

Prompto coughed and quickly surfaced, now dripping wet as he stood in the waist-deep water before seeing the offender above him. 

“Whoops,” Cloud said flatly, barely hiding a smile before walking away, leaving Prompto gaping. 

Prompto pulled himself back onto the dock and glared at Cloud from a distance as he pushed his now wet hair away from his eyes; it was so on, now!

* * *

From that day on, it was basically pure war. Cloud and Prompto spent the next week and a half tormenting each other, with annoying pranks which at some points led to physical fights that the Section Leaders would have to break up. 

For example, Prompto would hide Cloud’s beloved Buster Sword up in a tree, and the next day, Cloud would respond by casually causing food to spill on Prompto, and the cycle would repeat itself. They would even bring it into sparring sessions, both of them showing almost no mercy; at least there they could fight without being stopped until time ran out. 

However, when the second weekend came, they both decided to take a break; tormenting your new enemy could get exhausting after all. 

Prompto watched as the sun set in the sky, his camera in his hands. He had been gazing through it to try and get a good shot, but all the damn camp activity just wasn’t doing it for him. He needed to see it out in the open. Prompto looked behind him to see if any Section Leaders were watching before slipping out of the haven. He had a while till curfew; he’d snap a few pictures and be back in no time.

* * *

At the same time, Cloud was operating on a similar mindset. He was so sick of being around all these people; he needed some peace and quiet or he was certain he was going to lose it. Waiting until the Section Leaders’ eyes were off him, Cloud hurried out and away from the haven. This was already more like it; Cloud walked onward, not very mindful of how far he was going, enjoying the silence slowly growing around him.

* * *

Prompto clicked his last photo from his spot in the forest before the sun was just about gone. Plenty of great shots to bring back home; now he just had to sneak back in. He turned on his flashlight on his chest and headed back the way he came when he heard another noise. It sounded like...a growl...oh shit…

* * *

Out of everything Cloud was expecting to have gone wrong out here, getting attacked by a daemon or two wasn’t something he especially hated. After sparring against inexperienced kids for almost two weeks straight, he had been itching to fight against something real. 

However, that want was depleting fast as Cloud could hear more Daemons coming his way, drawn to the sounds of fighting. He was gonna have to find a way to break the fight and run, and fast before he got surrounded.

* * *

If Prompto didn’t believe Cloud was a mercenary at first, he definitely did now. The guy swung that greatsword around with a skill and grace that would make Gladio jealous. He continued to watch from a distance, not because he didn’t want to help. Despite their differences, Prompto wasn’t heartless. But Cloud seemed to be doing just fine on his own, so no point in jumping in, right?.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, he saw a daemon start to sneak up on Cloud, along with a bunch of movement from the shadows. The swordsman was too busy to notice as it leapt towards him to pounce. 

In a flash, Prompto yanked his gun out of its holster and fired, hitting the daemon right between the eyes. Thank the Astrals he had brought it with him along with his camera. 

Cloud whirled around just as the creature toppled over; he had been seconds away from getting cleaved in half. Cloud looked at him but another roar rang out. Prompto whirled around to see a large daemon charging straight for him. 

Caught off-guard, Prompto began firing bullets but they only bounced off the creature. But something crashed into Prompto before the daemon could. Prompto crashed to the ground and rolled before seeing Cloud next to him, having tackled him out of the way just in time. They looked at one another again, but once again, had no time to speak as even more noises filled the air. 

They slowly got up as it became apparent that many pairs of eyes were staring at them from all directions. They were surrounded. They looked at each other, back to back, a mutual agreement flashing in their eyes. 

“Cover me?” Cloud asked. 

“Long as you cover me,” Prompto nodded. 

The daemons rushed them and the two boys met them in kind. Staying back to back, they moved around their small area, slicing and shooting anything that made noise. Prompto’s gun briefly illuminated the area, making it a bit easier for them both to see what was coming. 

Daemon bodies started piling up around them and they could feel fatigue starting to work its way in; they couldn’t keep this up forever! At that moment, the sounds of shouts and more gunshots filled the air. Any straggling daemons retreated while others fell dead. 

“Who’s out there?!” A voice called as figures came into view in the clearing. Lights shined out, revealing the two boys, covered in daemon blood and breathing heavily as they gripped their weapons tightly. 

“Seems we’ve found our missing cadets.” The Chief said, clear disdain in his voice. Cloud and Prompto both deflated in defeat; they had really done it now...

* * *

“Well, you boys have clearly had a wild night.” The Chief got up from his desk where the two filthy and bloodstained blondes were standing, neither of them looking happy. “Sneaking out after dark and taking on a horde of daemons,” He paced around them. “If this wasn’t a camp for kids, I’d say you were brave as hell.” He faced them. “But that’s not where we are, and that was a damn stupid thing to do.” The boys winced from the firmness in his tone. 

“You may think it was your skill that got you through that fight, but I disagree,” The Chief continued. “I say it was pure dumb luck that the two of you are still in one piece, especially considering the generous amount of disruption you boys seem to have been causing all throughout my camp in only two weeks.” Cloud and Prompto kept their heads low. 

“Now, while I’m sure the events of tonight have taught you your lesson about leaving the grounds after dark, this animosity you have towards each other requires something more unique,” The Chief went on. “Soldiers have to get along in some way or another if order is to be kept; so if we want to keep you from each other’s throats, you’re just going to have to learn to coexist.” Cloud and Prompto didn’t like the sound of that at all. 

“Once the two of you wash up, both of you pack your bags; I’m assigning the two of you to the Isolation Camp for the remainder of your stay.” 

Both their heads shot up, their eyes wide with horror. “What?!” Prompto cried. 

“You can’t be serious!” Cloud protested. 

“You’re both dismissed,” The Chief said, turning away from them. 

“You heard the Chief; out,” The guard barked. With no other choice, Cloud and Prompto walked out of the tent. 

They were escorted to the showers by the guards and then back to their tents where they did as they were told, packing their things. They were then led to the furthest corner of the haven, where a large but ratty-looking tent sat. 

“Get comfortable boys,” One of the guards said. “You’ve still got six more weeks to get through.” And they were left alone. They spared each other a glare as they entered the tent, but at that point, they were both too exhausted to even argue about it. They rolled out their sleeping bags and collapsed into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now forced to camp together, some unexpected truths come out, leading to a somewhat crazy plan

The first day in the tent was...awkward. Neither of them had gotten off on the right foot and they just survived a horde of daemons together. The trust meter between them was in a very confusing place. Were they supposed to still hate each other after saving each other’s lives? They had no clue. So, all they did was just glance at each other every now and then, expecting the other to make the first move to break the ice. 

It was even worse during meals as they were even confined to their own table, with only the two of them for company. They silently ate, waiting for someone to speak. But it never came, and once night came they fell asleep in silence on the opposite sides of the tent. 

The next day wasn’t any better, not just because it was raining, but since part of their punishment was only training with each other instead of with the others. So they both occupied themselves with other things. The last thing they wanted was to face each other in a ring in the rain. 

Cloud was sharpening his Buster Sword and Prompto was scrolling through his camera, picking any favorites he wanted to print. Rain pounded the tent, filling the silent void a bit, but the noise of Cloud’s gritstone was starting to get grating, no pun intended. Prompto looked up from his camera at him, eventually making Cloud look up. “...What?” He asked. 

“You’re loud,” Prompto said bluntly. “Can you not be?” 

Cloud rolled his eyes, “Sorry, we can’t all have peashooters that don’t need maintenance.” 

Prompto’s eyes narrowed, “That ‘peashooter’ of mine saved your life!” 

“Yeah, and if my sword wasn’t sharpened, it wouldn’t have saved yours,” Cloud shot back before going back to his task. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s necessary.” Prompto groaned and lay back, going back to his camera. “Why were you even out there anyway?” Cloud asked. 

“Why were you?” Prompto retorted. 

Cloud glared at him, “I asked you first,” 

“And I reserve my right to answer until I hear your answer!” 

“It was something stupid, wasn’t it?” Cloud said with no remorse. 

“It was not!” Prompto exclaimed. “Taking pictures is kinda my thing!” 

Cloud looked amused, “You were taking pictures?” He asked. “You couldn’t take any here on the campground?” 

“Oh I could, I just didn’t want your face polluting my limited rolls of film,” Prompto snarked. Cloud scoffed and went back to his sword. “Hey, don’t ignore me,” Prompto exclaimed. “Why were you out there? Did Mr. Big-and-Strong-Mercenary need to prove himself or something?” 

“Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet?” Cloud snapped. “I was sick of all you other loud cadets that I left the grounds to clear my head, that’s all.” 

Prompto held up his hands in surrender, “Alright, alright, jeez, touchy…” They both went back to their activities, silent once again. 

After a few moments, Cloud heard a shutter click. He looked up to see Prompto’s camera aimed at him. “The hell are you doing?” He asked sharply. 

“I saw a photo op, and I took it,” Prompto said. “I won’t apologize for art.” 

“What happened to you not wanting my face to pollute your film,” Cloud snarked. 

“Not your fault you have a good aesthetic,” Prompto shrugged. “You looked...professional.” Cloud blinked in confusion. “Here,” Prompto turned his camera around so Cloud could see the screen with the photo he just took. 

Cloud leaned forward to get a better look and felt any annoyance fade away. It was an almost perfect candid photo, angled just right. It looked like it could go in a magazine. “That’s...pretty good.” 

Prompto shrugged, “Eh, lighting’s not great, but I work with what I have.” Prompto pulled the camera back and scrolled through a bit, “Now this...this is a good one.” He turned the screen back to Cloud where a lovely sunset was present on the screen. 

“Wow…” Cloud blinked. “Is that one of the ones you took out there?” 

“Yeah, the tents were throwing off the whole look, so I needed a more natural area,” Prompto said. 

“Well...it’s good,” Cloud said. 

“Thanks,” Prompto said. 

Cloud moved back to his spot, putting his sword aside and lying on his sleeping bag. “I take it you didn’t get any pictures of the daemons?” 

Prompto snorted, “Even I’m not that brave; I could never dive in the way of a charging daemon like you did.” 

“At least I didn’t break your camera,” Cloud pointed out. 

“I’ll give you that,” Prompto agreed. He waited a bit before speaking up again. “You know, I never told you, but the sword stuff you did out there was pretty awesome.” 

Cloud smirked a bit, “Thanks…” 

“Did your dad teach you how to use it?” Prompto asked. “I don’t know how I would ever be able to even lift that thing.” 

Cloud hesitated as he sat up, “I...never knew my Dad,” He said. “A...a friend taught me.” 

Prompto blinked, “Oh shit...sorry…” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Cloud said. “My mom never really talks about him anyway; I stopped trying a while back.” 

“I gotcha,” Prompto nodded as he started digging through his bag, eventually pulling out a bag of chips. “Hey, want some Chocobo Chips?” 

Cloud looked at him, intrigue flashing in his eyes, “...Are they the spicy kind?” 

Prompto snorted, holding up the bag to reveal the flavor, “No duh, why would anyone get any other flavor?” 

Cloud deflated a bit, “Good; I don’t get why they’re not as popular as the other flavors,” 

Prompto nodded, “I know right? Like the sour cream kind? Kill me.” 

“Ugh,” Cloud shook his head. “Everyone I know likes the bacon flavor.” 

Prompto made a face, “Ewww, that’s the worst one!” 

“I know, they're terrible!” Cloud agreed. 

“Oh Astrals, finally, a man of culture!” Prompto moved over to sit next to Cloud opening the bag. “From this day forward, I grant you access to my Chocobo Chip stash.” He aimed the opening to Cloud who took a few out. 

“I’m honored,” Cloud said. They sat in the tent, munching on chips for a few moments of silence. 

“So uh, how old are you?” Prompto asked, changing the subject as he took a sip from his water bottle. 

Cloud swallowed the chip he was eating. “I’ll be 17 on October 25th.” 

Prompto just about did a spit-take. “Me too!” 

Cloud raised his eyebrows, “The similarities continue…” 

“Yeah, it’s starting to freak me out a bit,” Prompto agreed. 

“Um, what about  _ your  _ parents?” Cloud asked, changing the subject once more. 

“Oh uh, I live with my dad, never knew my mom,” Prompto said. “She divorced my dad when I was a baby; at least that’s what Dad told me.” 

Cloud frowned. “Huh…” 

“What?” 

“My mom told me  _ my  _ dad divorced  _ her  _ when I was a baby.” 

Prompto mirrored his frown, “Okay, this is really getting weird now,” He said. 

Cloud shrugged, “Yeah, but I bet your Dad at least told you about your mom.” 

Prompto sighed, “Actually no, he didn’t.” 

Cloud looked at him, “Seriously?” 

“Yeah, he gets all sad whenever I bring it up; all I know is what she looks like.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Dad had this old picture of her in a drawer,” Prompto explained. “He kept catching me looking at it, so he gave it to me.” 

“Same thing happened to me with a picture of my dad,” Cloud said. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, but yours is probably better than mine,” Cloud said. “I found it at the bottom of mom’s old trunk in the cellar; it’s old, all crumpled up, and has a huge tear like it was ripped right down the middle.” 

Prompto didn’t respond, making Cloud look over at him. The boy looked like he had just seen a ghost. “You okay?” He asked. 

Prompto wordlessly tossed the chips aside and ran back to his bag. He rummaged through it until he found a folded piece of paper. He turned back to Cloud, hugging the paper to his chest, still looking spooked. 

“What’s going on?” Cloud asked. 

“This...is the picture of my mom,” Prompto said softly. “It’s old...crumpled up and...and has a tear…” 

Cloud’s eyes widened, “...Right down the middle?” 

“Right down the middle,” Prompto whispered. 

Now it was Cloud’s turn to get up in a rush. He searched through his own belongings until he found his own photo, carefully tucked away in a hidden pocket. He turned back to Prompto, mirroring his expression and the way he hid the picture. It was clear they were both thinking the same thing and neither of them wanted to believe it could really be true. 

Prompto swallowed. “Are you freaking out right now?” 

“...A little,” Cloud admitted before taking a deep breath. “On three, ready?” 

Prompto swallowed and nodded, his heartbeat in his ears. 

“One…” 

“Two…” 

They both whispered three and flipped the photos around. 

Time seemed to freeze at that exact moment. Both of them took in the person in the other’s photo, but that wasn’t the only thing. Slowly, they moved closer until their shoulders were touching, the torn ends of their photos meeting perfectly. The picture was whole once again, of a man with short brown hair and light stubble and a woman with blonde hair sitting together at a table, gazing at each other lovingly. 

“That’s...my mom…” Cloud whispered, finally finding his voice looking at Prompto’s half. 

“And that’s my...my Dad…” Prompto said, his throat tightening as he looked at Cloud’s half. Cloud and Prompto slowly turned towards each other, eyes wide and glazed as the pieces of the puzzle slowly came together. 

“So, if...if my mom is your mom,” Prompto said slowly, tears filling his eyes. “And your dad...is my dad...and we were both born on October 25th then...then that means we’re…we’re...” 

“Brothers…” Cloud finished, his own eyes starting to sting. “Prompto...we’re twins…” Prompto nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks. The next thing they knew, they were holding each other in a tight embrace. 

Both of them had always felt like something was missing, something they couldn’t quite put their finger on. But now they finally knew. Two halves had been reconnected once again. And damn, it felt so good. 

They hugged for what felt like hours, drinking in the other’s presence until they finally broke apart, both of them with damp cheeks. 

“Man...some camping trip, huh?” Prompto said with a sniffle. 

Cloud chuckled weakly, wiping his eyes, “Yeah...you know I was expecting to be bored out of my mind?” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah…” All they could do was say random statements as the emotions still overwhelmed them. 

“I can’t believe it...I’m not an only child,” Prompto said, a tinge of excitement in his voice. “I’ve...is it weird now to say that I’ve always wanted a brother?” 

Cloud smiled, feeling more tears coming up, and he shook his head “...Having a brother sounds nice…” 

Prompto smiled, “Yeah…This is really happening...” 

“It sure is…” 

They both laughed a bit before going in for another hug, their lives now forever changed.

* * *

That night, the two soldiers had moved their sleeping bags next to each other. They had been apart for 15 years, they had to make up for lost time somehow. 

“Hey, what’s Mom like?” Prompto asked, lying on his side. 

“Well...it’s Nibelheim so there’s not much out there,” Cloud said, folding his hands behind his head. “But she’s a leader at heart; she looks pretty normal on the outside but if any commotion goes down, you can bet she’ll be there to quench the flames.” 

Prompto chuckled, “No wonder Dad married her, sounds just like him.” 

“What’s that like?” Cloud asked, turning onto his side to face Prompto. “Having the Marshal as your Dad sounds cool but...does it ever get lonely?” 

“Aw no, just the opposite,” Prompto shook his head. “Dad may look all tough and scary like the ‘Immortal’ he is, but he’s a real great Dad; he tries to make time for me whenever he can,” Prompto shrugged. “But then again, I am in the Citadel a lot, so that helps too.” He then frowned a bit, “You know what’s weird?” 

“What?” 

“Our parents have been apart for fifteen years and neither of them got married again,” Prompto said. 

“That’s true,” Cloud said. “Everyone in Nibelheim is pretty much already taken or married since we’re so far out in the country; dates are pretty rare.” 

Prompto nodded, “Dad’s always been focused on either me or work; Insomnia’s big and all but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him talk to any women outside work.” He shrugged, “Maybe since they already had us they felt like they didn’t need to.” 

“Yeah...maybe they were just meant to be,” Cloud said. 

“Then wouldn’t they still be together?” Prompto asked. 

“You would think,” Cloud said. “Maybe they still kinda care about each other deep down...gods, I sound like Aerith,” He muttered the last part to himself. They both turned back onto their backs and stared at the roof of their tent. 

A few seconds later, Prompto suddenly gasped and sat up, “I just had the best idea in the universe,” He exclaimed. ”I’m a genius!” 

“What is it?” Cloud asked, sitting up with him. 

“Okay, you wanna know Dad, right?” 

“Yeah,” Cloud said slowly. 

“Right, and I’m dying to know Mom,” Prompto continued. “Soooo I think we should...wait for it…” He hesitated, while Cloud waited. “Switch places!” 

Cloud’s jaw dropped. “Wha-” 

“It’s perfect! We’ll finish up camp, and then you’ll go back to Insomnia as me-” 

“Wait-” 

“-and I’ll go back to Nibelheim as you!” 

“Whoa whoa, slow down!” Cloud held up his hands. 

“What? It’s the perfect plan!” Prompto kept going. “We’re twins, we can pull it off!” 

“Prompto, we might look the same, but we’re completely different!” Cloud protested. “They’d figure it out right away!” 

“Not if we teach each other to  _ be  _ each other,” Prompto said, his mischievous grin not leaving his face. 

“We can’t just...teach each other how to live the other’s life!” Cloud exclaimed. 

“Sure we can,” Prompto said. “It’ll be easy; look, I already know how to do you.” Prompto crossed his arms and looked as serious as possible. “You wanna know my interests? I don’t have any.” He said it with an almost perfect imitation of Cloud’s voice, making the other blonde snort a bit. 

“See? This could totally work!” Prompto said, reverting back to normal. He nudged Cloud’s shoulder. “C’mon, I know you wanna meet Dad,” He said in a sing-song voice. Cloud bit his lip. “Then at least do it so I can meet Mom, pleeeeease?” He looked at Cloud with big eyes and his hands clasped together. 

Cloud looked away with a groan, “This is so stupid…” 

“But it’s brilliant,” Prompto prodded. 

“We can’t pull it off forever, they’re gonna find out and-” Cloud stopped short, realization hitting him. “...And when they do…” He slowly turned back to Prompto. “They’ll need to switch us back.” 

Prompto felt a swell of pride as he saw a smile coming to Cloud’s face, “And then they’ll have to meet again; in person.” 

“After all these years,” Cloud finished. 

“Sooooo,” Prompto said excitedly. “We doing it?” 

The smile was still on Cloud’s face; he actually looked excited. “...Let’s do it.” They shook hands firmly before lying back down. 

“Told ya it was brilliant,” Prompto couldn’t help but say. 

“We’ll see about that,” Cloud said. 

“What, you don’t trust your own brother?” 

“I’ve only had a brother for less than a day, it’ll take some getting used to.” 

“Fair enough.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Cloud's birthday the same as Prompto's since Cloud apparently has two different birthdates that no one can seem to agree on :/


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins plan out their course of action and put it into motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready y'all, here comes my casual as fuck FFVII knowledge (I've only played up to leaving Midgar in the original and only really had the TFS FFVII abridged series for research, so cut me some slack alright XS)
> 
> Speaking of FFVII though, I've been watching the cutscenes and I'm in heaven. They're so good y'all (You are NOT ready for the Honeybee Inn scene. You think you are, but you're not)

While the two managed to get to sleep, it was difficult, as their excitement was keeping them up with a passion. The moment the camp-wide morning alarm went off, they were awake and raring to go. It was a free day, so they took as much time as possible to introduce each other to their lives. 

They started with the basics as they walked to get breakfast, like last names, addresses, and other obligations they had. The hard part was going to be learning about the people in their lives and convincing them that they were the other. 

Cloud went first as they ate breakfast, holding a small folder that just contained a bunch of photos that he knew Aerith snuck into his bag thinking he would miss them. “Okay, Mom’s really the only direct family we have, but if you’re gonna be in Nibelheim as me, you gotta know AVALANCHE.” 

“Your Merc group, right?” 

“Yep, and there’s a lot of us, so I’ll give you the short version of them.” Cloud slid the first photo to Prompto across the table. “First up, Barret Wallace, he’s basically the guy who calls all the shots if we’re on a group assignment.” 

Prompto took in his features with wide eyes, “Yikes…remind me not to piss him off.” 

“Actually, we kinda butt heads all the time, so you’re gonna have to man up and talk back a bit,” Cloud said. 

“Okay, got it, as long as he doesn’t kill me.” 

“He won’t,” Cloud slid two more pictures to him. “Next is Yuffie and Cid; Cid’s a scientist, swears a lot, and Yuffie’s from Wutai, she’s a ninja.” 

“Sweeeet,” Prompto said. “Wait, who’s that?” He pointed to the next picture. 

“This is Red XIII, he’s a talking dog.” 

Prompto blinked. “We have a talking dog?!” 

Cloud chuckled, “Long story; speaking of weird animals,” He moved to the next photo. “Cait Sith, robot cat; he was made by this guy, Reeve Tuesti.” He pointed to the figure behind the robot cat and its giant Moogle mount. “He used to work for Shinra, who we tend to fight with a lot, but we convinced him to join our side.” 

“Dude, your friends are SO much cooler than mine!” Prompto gaped. 

“Yeah, and they’re a handful,” Cloud sighed. 

“Wait, so does Reeve control Cait Sith remotely, or is the cat sentient?” Prompto asked. 

“It’s...complicated,” Cloud admitted before moving on. “This is Vincent Valentine, he’s...some kind of weird vampire hybrid.” 

“How the hell did you meet these people?!” Prompto exclaimed. 

“It was a weird week,” Cloud admitted, “We actually found him in the basement of an old abandoned mansion outside town.” 

“...I’m never gonna want to leave your home,” Prompto said flatly. 

Cloud snorted and gave him the next photo. “This is Aerith Gainsborough.” 

Prompto grinned. “She’s cute,” 

Cloud looked up sharply. “Don’t even think about it.” 

“Yeah, that would be pretty messed up if I pretended to be her boyfriend as you.” 

“I’m not her boyfriend!” 

“Oooh so she’s available,” Prompto grinned. 

Cloud glared at him. “You’re pretending to be me, remember?” 

“Ah, I got it, family first, then take my chances with her; don’t worry bro, I got your back.” 

Cloud spluttered a bit before resigning, “Whatever, one more; Tifa Lockhart,” He gave him her file. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, so if anyone will catch onto our plan, it’s her, so watch it, she’s sharp.” 

“Got it,” Prompto nodded firmly.

* * *

They stayed in their tent after breakfast where Prompto took out a bunch of old photos and placed them on the ground between them. “Okay, let's get the big one out of the way first,” He handed Cloud a photo. “Prince Noctis himself.” The photo was a selfie of Prompto and Noctis, both of them smiling. 

“So you weren’t kidding, you actually are friends with the prince,” Cloud said, impressed. 

“Yep,” Prompto replied a bit proudly. “We’ve known each other practically since we were babies since Dad is close with the King; he really doesn’t like the whole royalty thing around us, so we all call him Noct.” 

“Noct,” Cloud repeated, taking in the photo. “You don’t treat him like a prince at all?” 

“Nope, that’s what Iggy’s for,” Prompto said. “Speaking of…” He hands Cloud another photo of a man with glasses standing behind a kitchen counter. “This is Ignis Scientia, or Iggy; he’s Noct’s advisor.” 

“So he’s just around to take care of the Prince?” Cloud asked. 

“He takes care of all of us, actually,” Prompto said with a smile. “He’s the best cook you’ll ever meet.” 

Cloud hummed, “Remind me to introduce him to Mom if this plan works; I think they’d get along.” 

“Last but not least, Gladiolus Amicitia, Noct’s Shield.” Prompto handed him a photo of a tattooed man leaning on a fancy looking car. 

“Muscle of the group?” Cloud asked. 

“You got it,” Prompto said. “Gladio may look scary but he’s a really cool guy; we do morning runs together sometimes.” 

Cloud nodded, committing their names, nicknames, and faces to memory. “Are these all your friends?” 

Prompto shrugged, “Pretty much; though there are a few names you should know.” He shuffled through a few pictures, “There’s Gladdy’s sister Iris, Lady Luna, her two dogs and I guess a few other Crownsguard who know my name, but...I think that’s it.” 

“We have our work cut out for us…” Cloud sighed.

* * *

In between giving each other crash courses about their lives, they spent plenty of time training. Specifically, training with each other’s weapons; Cloud’s Buster Sword and Prompto’s pistol were two very different beasts. 

They would spar with each other constantly, both using one of the two weapons, the veteran shouting tips as they did so. 

“Remember to keep your feet planted, or you’ll go flying with the weight of the sword.” 

“It’s all about looking before you leap; look where you wanna shoot, but don’t get trigger happy.”

“You gotta lift with your legs, not your back. You’ll end up sore or a month if you move wrong.”

“You won’t need to worry about bullets when the Armiger comes into play, but try not to shower something in a bajillion shots if it’s not doing anything. Chip damage can only go so far.” 

Cloud taught Prompto about the materia slots and told him with combinations he usually used specifically. In return, Prompto taught Cloud about their kind of magic and the Armiger. Pretty soon, Prompto was swinging around Cloud’s Buster Sword with relative ease, and Cloud was shooting bullseyes much more frequently at the shooting range. 

The next step was their physical appearance, mainly their hair. While it was similar, it was still different enough for people who knew them to notice. They spent hours agonizing over how they would deal with it. 

The answer finally came to them when they showered that night, seeing their now droopy blonde hair. It was clear that Cloud had more hair on his head than Prompto, which meant one thing...

“I can’t believe I’m letting you do this…” Cloud moaned. He was sitting on a stool in their tent, facing Prompto who was holding scissors, their hair down and unspiked for reference. 

“C’mon, how hard can this be?” Prompto said, trying to keep his own nervousness down; if he messed this up, the whole plan could be ruined. Prompto decided to start with the bangs; he checked the length of his own real quick and approached Cloud. He found the right length between his fingers and opened the scissors, shut his eyes and- 

“Hey hey hey, don’t shut your eyes!” Cloud’s voice snapped him back to attention. 

“Gimme a break, I’m nervous about this too!” Prompto retorted. 

“Just...get it over with!” Cloud whined. “I never let anyone touch my hair, this is literally the worst!” 

“Hey, you almost sounded like me there for a second,” Prompto said with a smile. 

“Isn’t that the whole point of this?” Cloud responded, smiling a bit. Now feeling a bit more calm, Prompto took a deep breath and found the right length. 

_ Snip! _

Cloud flinched as a lock of blonde hair fell to the ground. “Don’t panic,” Prompto said quickly. “You look great.” 

After the suspense of the first snip was done, Prompto fell into more of a rhythm. He carefully cut Cloud’s hair little by little, ignoring the distressed noises Cloud made every time. Once he was certain it was enough, they finally styled it. 

Whether by some stroke of luck or untapped hairdressing skills from Prompto, the two had nearly identical hair when they looked in the mirror. A perfect blend of both their styles and they suddenly looked ten times more similar than they did before. 

“This is getting more unbelievable every day,” Cloud commented as he gazed at his new reflection. 

Prompto stood next to him and leaned on his shoulder, “Honestly, I think we never looked better.” 

“At least it worked,” Cloud said, then something caught his eye. “...Oh shit,” Cloud’s face fell as he leaned closer to the mirror. 

“What?” Prompto leaned in with him, glancing between him and their reflection. 

Cloud put a hand on his ear and looked at Prompto, “I have pierced ears.” 

It took Prompto three seconds to put the pieces together. “No. No! No way, nope nope nope, not happening!” He walked away. “You are  _ not  _ putting holes in my ears! I refuse!” 

“Oh, so cutting my hair was just a huge waste of time then,” Cloud responded. “I can’t just suddenly ‘not’ have pierced ears, Prompto, we don’t really have a choice here.” 

Prompto moaned, “Do we have to?” 

“You  _ did  _ cut my hair,” Cloud said, a hint of mischief in his voice. “I mean, it’s only fair.” 

Prompto slumped, “Dammit...” Cloud smirked.

* * *

That night, Prompto was lying on his sleeping bag, holding a chunk of ice under his earlobe to numb it. He looked up in fear as Cloud held a needle and moved it through a small flame from Fire Materia to sterilize it. 

“A-Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Prompto whimpered for probably the fifth time. 

“Relax,” Cloud said. “This is a regular thing in Nibelheim, it’s not a big deal.” He put out the flame, “Just close your eyes, and it’ll be over in no time.” Prompto nodded and tried to not look at the needle his brother was holding; he never liked needles. 

Cloud walked over and knelt by Prompto’s head, holding the needle and a piece of apple. “Alright, on three, remove the ice,” He said. “Got the earring ready?” Prompto wordlessly held it up. “Okay, one...two...three.” 

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and moved the ice away. Cloud swiftly held the apple piece under his earlobe and pierced it with the needle.

* * *

“You know...that wasn’t so bad,” Prompto shrugged as he gazed at his newly pierced ears in the mirror ten minutes later. 

“Considering you screamed the whole time, I guess not,” Cloud remarked, moving to stand next to him again. They looked at each other together; they looked completely identical. Their work was done. 

Now...it was just a matter of time to see if this would work.

* * *

Before they knew it, the camp was over. They had crammed in as much last-minute studying of each other as they could, and now it was time to see if it all paid off. The field was flooded as campers all said their last goodbyes before getting into their respective vehicles to go home. 

Within the crowd of dispersing boys, Cloud and Prompto were in the midst of a hug, both dressed in the others’ clothing and with the others’ luggage. 

“Well...this is it,” Prompto said, breaking the hug. 

“Yep,” Cloud nodded. “Now remember, you’re gonna figure out how Mom and Dad met.” 

“Yeah, and you’ll find out why they broke up,” Prompto said. 

“Heading to the Lucien Airships, last call!” Someone yelled in front of a bus. 

“That’s you,” Prompto said to Cloud. “Someone will be there to pick you up at the station when you land.” 

“Anyone else need a lift to the train station?” Another voice yelled from a large truck. 

“And that’s you,” Cloud said before handing Prompto a card. “Same for you, someone will come to find you, and if not just follow the signs, you’ll figure it out; don’t lose your ID or that train will kick you right off.” 

“Right…” Prompto nodded, flashing Cloud one more smile. “See ya on the other side.” 

“See ya.” They went in for one more hug before finally parting ways. Prompto climbed into the truck bound for the train station, and Cloud climbed on the bus bound for the air transport. Both vehicles revved up and started off in opposite directions.

* * *

Hours later, a train was heading for Nibelheim and an airship was flying over Lucis, carrying the two boys. 

_‘Attention passengers, we are now arriving in Nibelheim.’_ The train announcer said. _‘Please make sure you have all your belongings as we are not responsible for any lost items.’_

Prompto took a deep breath in and out as the station came into view out the window. “Okay...this is it…” He whispered, wringing his hands.

* * *

_‘Attention, we are beginning our descent,’_ The pilot announced. _‘Please fasten your seatbelts and hold onto any loose objects.’_

Cloud bit his lip, trying to calm himself and keep his air sickness down. “It’s okay...you can do this…” He whispered. “You can do this...”

* * *

The train slowed to a stop. 

“...I hope she likes me…”

* * *

The airship landed on the ground. 

“...Please like me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Cloud without all his trauma is lovely :3
> 
> So yeah, all the FFVII main cast live in NIbelheim and are happy. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie are part of the Midgar branch of AVALANCHE so they sometimes keep in touch. I'm putting in these little details in case I wanna attempt a main plot crossover with this universe in the future but we'll see :3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto arrives in Nibelheim and the plan is officially set in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo has anyone else been spending all their free time watching cutscenes from the FF7 remake? ...Just me?
> 
> (Also, THE REMAKE CONFIRMED CLAUDIA'S NAME I AM SO HAPPY)

Prompto had never felt more like a fish out of water than when he stepped off that train. It was crowded with people, in a place he didn’t know. This place was certainly not Insomnia. Everything felt different, even the air he was breathing. No time to dwell on that now though. Prompto moved around the platform and glanced around, hoping for some kind of sign as he went over all of Cloud’s information in his head to calm him down. 

“Cloudyyyyyyy!” 

Prompto perked up and turned to see a little girl in a pink dress hurrying towards him through the crowd. She was unmistakable from how Cloud described her. “Marlene,” Prompto greeted, putting up his facade. 

Marlene bolted towards him and wrapped her arms around his legs in a tight hug, “Cloudy! I missed you!” She exclaimed, looking up at him happily. 

Prompto smiled and gave her a pat on the head, “I missed you too.” 

“Hey Cloud!” 

Prompto looked up to see a young woman with long dark hair coming towards him. She looked exactly like her picture. “Tifa,” He greeted. 

“Sooooo?” Tifa asked, a knowing smile on her face. “How was it? C’mon, admit it, it was fun, right?” 

Prompto quickly remembered that Tifa had basically dragged Cloud to camp, according to him. Well, at least he knew for a fact that Cloud did have fun. “...You get this one,” He said, pretending to be put out that Tifa was right. 

“Ha, I knew it!” Tifa beamed. “A little loosening up was just what you needed; you even cut your hair.” 

“Missed you, too,” Prompto said dryly. Tifa lightly punched his arm and they headed off, Marlene clinging to Prompto’s hand. “So, has the bar been burnt down by Barret and the others yet?” 

“You wish you were that special,” Tifa teased. “Yuffie and Red miss you, though; I’m actually surprised Yuffie didn’t try to tag along with you to camp.” Tifa looked at him and blinked, “Whoa, haven’t seen those in a while…” 

“What?” Prompto asked. 

“Those freckles,” Tifa pointed. “I don’t think I’ve seen them since we were kids.” 

“Well, we were outside a lot,” Prompto admitted. Tifa hummed and nodded in satisfaction. The three of them walked together until they reached the little village. A smile came to Prompto’s face as he took in the adorable little community. It felt so much more personal than the large cities of Lucis. 

“So, we’ll let you drop your stuff off at home and then how about we meet at Seventh Heaven tonight?” Tifa’s words snapped Prompto back to attention.

“Oh, yeah sounds good.” 

Tifa squeezed his shoulder, “Good to have you back, Cloud.” 

“Bye-bye Cloudy,” Marlene waved as Tifa took her hand and led her away. Prompto waved back and started to look around for the right house. Cloud’s directions echoed in his head; surely this wouldn’t be hard. 

Prompto walked down the street until he arrived at the small cottage with the right address. It looked just like Cloud had described. He stood before it for a while, taking the view in; he had imagined living in a quaint little place like this, it was- 

“Cloud?” Prompto blinked and looked at the front door where a blonde woman was now standing. The woman from his picture; Claudia Strife. 

“Mom…” He whispered. 

“You’re back!” Claudia exclaimed, hurrying down the path towards him. Prompto quickly walked towards her as well, putting down his things before they hugged tightly. It was so bizarre; he had hugged his father many times, so part of him expected this to be no different. But oh, how wrong he was. His mother’s arms were gentle but firm, expressing the purest form of affection with little effort. Prompto never wanted it to end. 

Claudia pressed a kiss to his head, “Oh Cloud, my boy, I missed you,” She said. 

“I missed you too,” Prompto said softly. “I missed you so much…” 

“Let me look at you,” Claudia broke the hug and held his face, looking him over. “Did you cut your hair?” 

“A boy at camp cut it for me,” Prompto said, trying desperately to keep a lump from coming to his throat and messing up his voice. “Do you like it?” 

“I love it,” Claudia said, but her smile fell when she noticed his tears. “Cloud, what’s wrong?” 

Prompto sniffed and wiped his eyes, “It’s just...I can’t believe it’s you…” 

Claudia pulled him back into a hug, stroking his hair. “I know; it feels like it’s been forever.” 

Prompto almost laughed at the irony, “You have no idea…”

* * *

Prompto spent the next few hours in the cottage, putting Cloud’s things away and admiring the home his mother had built. According to Cloud, their mom did a lot by herself; taking small jobs to support herself and Cloud and working almost non-stop. It seemed all her hard work had paid off. 

Prompto hurried back downstairs when he was done to see his mom getting some tea ready on the stove; great, he wanted to talk to her as much as possible. “Finished unpacking already?” Claudia asked with a smile. 

“Yep,” Prompto nodded. 

“Well good, I want to hear all about this camp,” Claudia said, filling two cups with the boiling water. Prompto was barely able to hide his excitement as Claudia gestured for him to sit. He obeyed and was given a warm cup of tea before his mother sat across from him. “So, you said someone cut your hair for you,” Claudia said. “Would you say he’s a new friend?” 

Prompto smiled, “Yeah, I would,” He said. “We kinda butted heads at first, but after we got to know each other, it turned out he was pretty cool.” 

“Where’s he from?” Claudia asked. 

Prompto paused, “Tenebrae,” He answered. 

“My, that’s very far away,” Claudia said. “Are you going to keep in touch?” 

“Yeah, we already exchanged numbers,” Prompto said. 

Claudia lit up, “That’s great; I’m so glad that camp worked out.” 

Prompto nodded, “What about you, Mom?” 

Claudia raised an eyebrow, “What about me?” 

“What have you been up to?” Prompto prodded. “While I was gone?” 

“Since when do you care about what I get up to?” Claudia teased. 

Thankfully, Prompto knew that was a joke and not something she meant. Of course, the real Cloud cared. “Since I’ve been away for weeks and I wanna know if I missed anything,” Prompto resolved, feigning a bit of shyness since he knew how Cloud could get when talking about his feelings. 

Luckily, it worked, because Claudia smiled and started talking, regaling him with tales of small problems that come up in a small town where nothing exciting happens. 

After a while, Claudia looked at a clock, “Don’t you have to meet up with your friends about now?” Prompto flinched as he saw the time; it was that late already?! Claudia giggled, “You better hurry, you don’t Barret to chew you out again.” 

Prompto felt his heart bubble up in happiness as he heard his mom laugh, combined with her smile. She was more amazing than he imagined. “See ya, Mom.” Prompto got up and hurried for the door. 

“Stay out too late and I’m coming to get you!” Claudia warned. 

“Like that’s a threat,” Prompto replied jokingly, receiving another smile in return. According to Cloud, all of AVALANCHE liked their mom, so her dropping in would honestly be great; it would give Prompto more time to spend with her. It would be a win-win. 

The bar, Seventh Heaven, wasn’t hard to find; it was the most lit up place in the whole town. It almost felt out of place, until he remembered Cloud told him that Tifa’s father had relocated to Nibelheim from Midgar and basically took the whole aesthetic with him when bringing over his business. 

Prompto walked through the swinging shutter doors where a handful of figures were already inside, all of them looking like Cloud’s photos. 

“Hey Cloud!” Tifa waved from her spot behind the bar, bringing everyone’s attention over to him and calling out greetings. Prompto barely kept himself from beaming shyly and settled for a casual smirk. 

“Well, look who finally decided to come back,” Barret remarked.

“Relieved?” Prompto prodded. 

“I am, actually,” Barret responded smoothly. “I’m hoping that camp hammered in some better fighting skills.” 

“Jesus, can’t you two go one second without butting heads?” Cid groaned. 

“Not a chance!” Cait Sith chirped, bouncing on Mog. 

“Welcome back, Cloud,” Reeve said, along with a nod from Vincent, that Prompto returned as he walked further in. 

“Clooooooud!” 

Something heavy latched itself to Prompto’s back, nearly knocking him flat on his face. He glanced behind him and barely recognized the headband, “Y-Yuffie?!” 

“You’re finally back!” Yuffie exclaimed. “Do you have any idea how boring it’s been?!” 

“And here I thought I wasn’t the life of the party…” Prompto managed, prying Yuffie’s arms off from around his neck. 

“Soooooo?” Yuffie got up close to him, an excited look on her face. “Did you find me any new Materia?” Ah right, she was the thief of the group. 

Prompto rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance “No Yuffie,” He said dryly. 

“Aww,” Yuffie pouted. “What’s the point of going near Lucis if you’re not even going to find new Materia?” 

“That’s just it, Lucis doesn’t have Materia,” Prompto blurted out. 

“Whaaaaat?” Yuffie gaped. “Then what’s the point of...anything?!” 

“How do you know that?” Cid asked. 

“Uh, I met someone from Lucis at camp,” Prompto answered quickly. “We were...comparing weapons and he asked about the Materia slots.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“So there are places that don’t use Materia?” Barret wondered out loud. “So how do they use magic?” 

Prompto had to rein in his own enthusiasm, “Flasks of some kind,” He answered. “They fill them with the magic and throw them.” 

“Huh, weird,” Yuffie shrugged. 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Aerith appeared by Prompto’s side, taking his arm. “Cloud’s had a long day, and we’re here to celebrate, not harass him.” 

“But where’s the fun in that?” Barret protested as Aerith led Prompto to a seat at the bar. 

“Yeah!” Yuffie agreed. Prompto had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from outright laughing giddily; everyone was so much more lively than Cloud had described. His stoic, moody brother hung out with and trusted this motley crew? Amazing. 

“Red, you’ve been pretty quiet,” Aerith spoke up. “Is something wrong?” Prompto followed her gaze and they landed on the infamous talking dog (although now that he looked at him he also kind of looked like a big cat). 

Red XIII was sitting and staring at Prompto with a small intensity that made him nervous. “Your smell, Cloud,” He said. “It’s...odd.” 

Prompto slammed the brakes on his excitement that he just saw the talking dog actually  _ talk in real life _ and kept a poker face, “You try going to a camp packed with kids for eight weeks and come back smelling normal.” 

“Hm...yes, you’re right,” Red said. “Sorry about that, I’m glad you’re back, Cloud.” 

“Thanks,” Prompto responded. When this plan succeeded, Prompto was gonna hug the hell out of that dog!

Tifa took that as her cue, leaning towards him on the bar, “So, what can I get you for a celebratory ‘welcome back’ drink?”

* * *

After that, any initial tension melted away. Prompto managed to keep up his facade as he sipped his drink and the ‘usual chaos’, as Cloud lovingly called it, commenced around him. As night arrived, regular patrons started coming in, somehow adding to the liveliness with AVALANCHE. People were happily talking with everyone, drinking, playing pool, darts, even pinball (though Tifa and Barret kept a very sharp eye on it the whole time). 

Prompto had eventually migrated to a corner with Vincent and Aerith, and he was following along with their conversation when he saw a blond head come through the door. “Mom!” He exclaimed. 

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Claudia said with a smirk. “Hello Aerith, Vincent, good to see you.” 

“You too, Mrs. Strife,” Aerith smiled while Vincent silently nodded. 

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Claudia said, taking a seat next to Prompto. 

“It’s good to be back,” Prompto said. 

“Can I get you anything, Mrs. Strife?” Tifa called from the bar. 

“I’m fine, thank you, Tifa!” Claudia responded. Ah right, Cloud said she wasn’t a drinker. And Prompto was perfectly fine with that. 

“Hey, Mrs. Strife!” Yuffie waved. “Wanna play darts?” 

Claudia smiled and opened her mouth to politely refuse, but a particularly tipsy patron nearby laughed, “Please, that old lady couldn’t hit the board if her life depended on it!” 

Prompto’s eyes narrowed; his mom didn’t look old at all! Claudia stiffened, “Old lady?” She echoed, before getting up. 

“Oh, they’ve done it now…” Tifa muttered. Prompto allowed himself to watch in confusion as Claudia let her hair down and grabbed a handful of darts. Prompto leaned forward in anticipation as his mom reached the marked spot where Yuffie had been standing and took aim. 

After just a second or two, she threw the dart. Bullseye. 

Claudia then took three big steps back, readying another dart, “Eight,” She said and threw it. It hit the 8; everyone hooted in excitement. Claudia took three more steps back, “Ten,” The dart hit the 10. 

“No way…” Prompto whispered. 

Claudia stepped back until she was at the far wall, the farthest away she could be. She held up the last three darts. “Twenty, sixteen, bullseye.” She said. Everyone was silent as she took aim and loosed the darts one by one. Every dart hit the mark she said she would. 

The bar erupted into cheers as Claudia stood proudly while Prompto was gaping in pure delight. She was a sharpshooter...just like him! Claudia gave him a proud smile and Prompto couldn’t help but beam; he had the coolest Mom ever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the additions I made to Claudia's character :3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the opposite end of the plan, Cloud arrives in Insomnia and is thrust into Prompto's life

Cloud exited the transport and found himself in a world he never expected to see. Even just the landing area seemed like a bustling metropolis, filled with people of all kinds. Cloud took in as much as he could while heading for the door; hopefully, he would find someone meant to take him home, like Prompto said. 

Cloud walked outside, almost feeling like he was breathing in different oxygen when he heard a honk. “Prompto!” 

Cloud looked at the bottom of the stairs to see a fancy looking car, carrying three people that Cloud instantly recognized from Prompto’s photos. The Prince was waving at him happily. Well, time to start the show. “Noct?” He called, lighting up with surprise as he knew Prompto would. 

Noctis leaped out of the car and hurried towards him. Cloud did the same, gripping his hand when they arrived which turned into a hug. “Thank the Astrals you’re back, I was so bored!” Noctis exclaimed. 

“Aw, did you miss me that much?” Cloud teased. 

Noctis broke the hug and gripped his shoulders, “You have no idea; Gladio sucks at King’s Knight and Ignis, well...” 

“Say no more,” Cloud waved his hand. They headed towards the Regalia, arms around each other. So far, so good. 

“So, tell me, did it suck?” Noctis asked. “You can be honest with me...please tell me it sucked, I don’t want you to go back.” 

Cloud chuckled before shrugging, “It...had its ups and downs.” 

Noctis shook his head, “I don’t know how you did it; camping for that long sounds like hell.” 

“That’s because you don’t focus on the positives, Noct,” Cloud responded as they reached the Regalia. 

“Hey, squirt!” Gladio greeted, raising a hand in greeting that Cloud returned. 

“Welcome back, Prompto,” Ignis said before moving forward to take his bags. 

“Thanks, Iggy,” Cloud said, handing them off. “I miss anything exciting?” 

“I just told you I’ve been bored out of my mind,” Noctis said. 

“No need to remind us of your constant complaints, Noct,” Ignis remarked. 

“Yeah, cause we had to bear the brunt of ‘em,” Gladio added. Cloud smiled and leaned over the side to put his carry-on in the backseat. 

“Whoa, dude,” Noctis suddenly said, appearing right next to him, looking at him closely. “Did you get your ears pierced?” 

This made both Gladio and Ignis look at him in surprise, but Cloud played it off. “Yeah, you like it?” He asked as he and Noctis climbed into the car. 

Noctis nodded, “Actually yeah, looks pretty cool.” 

“Please do not encourage him to follow your actions,” Ignis said tiredly. 

“Specs, piercings are not my thing, I thought you knew me better than that!” Noctis exclaimed. 

“Did you get a tramp stamp while you were at it, Prompto?” Gladio joked. 

“Even if I did, you’d never see it,” Cloud shot back, barely saving himself from stuttering in humiliation. He had never been good about jokes, something Prompto did his best to remedy while they were at camp. 

Ignis closed the trunk and got back in the driver’s seat. “Shall I drop you off with your father first, Prompto?” He asked. 

“Yes!” Cloud said, almost a bit too eagerly. 

“Whaaaat? But you just got here!” Noctis whined. 

“I’m sure you can survive another day without Prompto while he unpacks his things and rests,” Ignis chided. “He’s had a long journey.” 

“Not to mention any hunts that come up and our camping trip soon,” Gladio added. “Then you can have him all to yourself.” 

“Whatever,” Noct sighed. 

As they drove back to the Crown City, Cloud couldn’t help but gaze in admiration at the sights around him. The towering buildings, the markets, the people; it all felt so big! “Wow…” 

“You seem happy to be home,” Gladio commented. “More than usual.” 

I’ve been in the country forever, gimme a break!” Cloud said, not taking his eyes off the buildings. 

“I’d hardly call eight weeks forever,” Ignis remarked. Cloud looked up in awe as they passed through the infamous Wall of Insomnia. It was even cooler than Prompto described. They drove a bit further until they reached a decent-sized house in a neighborhood. As they pulled up, Cloud saw  _ him  _ walk out the door; Cor Leonis himself. His father. 

Cor grinned at the sight of him. “Hey, Prompto! Welcome back!” 

Cloud couldn’t stop the smile from coming to his face as he got out of the car and jogged towards him. The photo he had kept all these years was now alive and breathing right in front of him. Once he got closer he paused, almost not believing it was real. 

Cor opened his arms, “Get over here, kid.” 

“Dad…” Cloud whispered, barely remembering to change his voice. “Finally…!” He practically flew into the waiting embrace, feeling nothing but pure joy as the older man hugged him back with ease. Cloud had always wondered what it would be like to be held by his father, and now he finally knew. It was almost too good to be true. 

Cor ruffled his hair as he broke the hug, “So, how was it?” He asked. “Learn anything? Meet anyone?” 

“A lot happened, Dad,” Cloud admitted. 

Cor nodded, “Yeah, something’s different about you,” He said. “Hair’s a bit different and…” He blinked. “You got your ears pierced?” 

Cloud nodded, still smiling. “A new friend I made did it for me,” He said. “Do you like it?” 

“You know what? I do,” Cor said, rubbing his shoulders. “You look more grown-up already.” Cloud got his bags from Ignis and waved goodbye to the group as they drove away and headed inside with Cor. 

The house definitely looked like Prompto had described; kinda cluttered but still decently normal. You would almost never know that Cor had the paycheck of a Marshal. Cloud wandered around, his eyes falling on a few photos on the wall and fridge; some were clearly photos Prompto had taken with his camera while others were simple family photos that only contained Cor and Prompto. Cloud took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions together; even though this place was so different, it still somehow felt like home. 

“You okay, kiddo?” Cor appeared nearby. “Don’t tell me you missed home that much.” 

“Honestly, it feels like it’s been forever,” Cloud remarked. 

Cor softened and put his arm around Cloud, “So, I was thinking, to celebrate your return, we go somewhere special for dinner tonight,” He said. “That sound good?” 

Cloud smiled widely, “Sounds great, Dad.”

* * *

A few hours later, when night finally fell, Cloud and Cor were sitting in a restaurant together, eating a meal so delicious that Cloud almost couldn’t process it after the first bite. Cloud had made sure to talk with Cor in the hours leading up to this, but somehow this felt better, more personal. It was like how he felt when he and his Mom ate together, but somehow different. And Cloud absorbed every second of it. 

“So, tell me more about your camp experience,” Cor said. “I hope you behaved yourself.” 

“Geez, Dad, have a little faith in me, I know how to make friends,” Cloud snarked. “And for your information, I did make a new friend; we got real close too.” 

“Good,” Cor nodded. “Is he from Insomnia?” 

“Not even close, Dad; he’s from Nibelheim,” Cloud answered. 

“...Really,” Cor said, something flashing in his eyes. “Haven’t been out there before.” 

“Really?” Cloud asked. “You’ve never had, like, any missions out there, Dad?” 

“Missions involving the Crown would hardly ever take place outside the country,” Cor remarked. 

“True,” Cloud relented. Then he found a way in. “What do you think it’s like outside Eos, Dad?” He asked, remembering that Prompto had never been out of Insomnia very often. 

“I’m sure it’s very different from what we know,” Cor said. “But still beautiful.” 

“Have any Kingsglaive or Crownsguard ever gone to a place like that, Dad?” 

“Why the sudden interest in leaving the country, Prom?” Cor asked with a smirk. “And why do you keep saying ‘Dad’ at the end of every sentence?” 

Cloud blinked; had he really? Play it off, quick! “Sorry, I didn’t realize, Dad,” He said, before chuckling. And Cor did too; crisis averted. But he couldn’t keep himself from adding, “I guess I’ve just...missed being able to say the word 'Dad', you know?” 

Cor smiled and reached across the table, ruffling his hair, “Glad to know that camp didn’t get rid of your sappy side.” Cloud chuckled and they went on with their meal. Cloud never felt happier. 

As they headed back home, Cloud looked at his phone, or rather, Prompto’s, since they had also switched those too, which was already getting texts from Noctis asking if he could hang out tomorrow. 

Cor glanced at the screen and smirked, “Yep, this is exactly why I wanted to get you to myself tonight,” He said. “His Majesty isn’t gonna leave you alone for a good while.” 

“I’ll always make time for you, Dad,” Cloud said before texting an affirmative reply to Noctis. He had to make sure to not neglect Noctis or he would get suspicious and put the plan at risk. Prompto had told Cloud all about the Prince’s tendency to feel lonely, something Cloud could empathize with easily. (He felt the same way a lot before AVALANCHE became a part of his life) Prompto even expressed hopes that if the plan worked, he and Noctis would get along wonderfully. Well, that theory would be tested tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Cloud was able to enjoy breakfast with his father as well as the drive to work. As Cor worked at the Citadel and that was also close to the apartment where Noctis lived, it was easier for Cloud to simply come along so he could walk the rest of the way. 

Cloud gazed up in amazement at the large building that was the Citadel and Cor clapped him on the shoulder, “See you tonight, okay, kiddo?” 

“Yeah,” Cloud nodded and he was left alone. Prompto’s directions to Noct’s apartment came to his head and he slowly made his way there. 

Once Cloud found the right room, he knocked, and the Prince answered almost immediately. “Finally!” He yanked Cloud inside, eliciting a yelp from him, and he was dragged inside and to the living room. 

He had to admit, for a prince, Noctis had a pretty normal looking apartment. Then again, Prompto did tell him that he preferred to feel normal rather than royalty. He spotted Ignis in the kitchen area who nodded in his direction, “Prompto.” 

“Hey Iggy,” Cloud managed before he was shoved onto the couch, Noctis sitting next to him. “So, uh-” 

“King’s Knight, _now_ ,” Noctis said, his eyes big and wild. 

Cloud smiled awkwardly, “Dude, did you go through withdrawal or something while I was gone?” 

“That is a very mild way of putting it,” Ignis commented from afar. 

Cloud chuckled and took out Prompto’s phone, “Alright, you’re on.” Noctis responded immediately, whipping out his own phone. Cloud only hoped that Prompto running him through the game at camp those numerous times yielded the proper results. 

The next thing Cloud knew, hours had flown by, with Cloud and Noctis glued to the couch, playing videogame after videogame. Ignis appeared at some point with a tray of snacks. 

Cloud took one without looking and took a bite, only to freeze at the flavor that exploded in his mouth. “Holy shit…” He muttered after swallowing. 

Noctis chuckled, “Did camp food make you forget real cooking?” 

Cloud stared at the sweet in his hand and looked at Ignis. “You made these?” 

Ignis raised an eyebrow, “As always.” Well damn, Prompto hadn’t been exaggerating. 

“Man, you must’ve really let your mind go at camp,” Noctis joked. “If I didn’t know you any better I’d think you forgot everything.” 

Cloud finally managed to pry his mind away from the amazing treat and clicked back into gear, giving him a pout, “You try spending eight weeks away from home,” He protested. “And besides, it was worth it; I’m practically a new man!” 

“Then prove it by getting your head in the game,” Noctis challenged. 

“You’re on.”

But before they could get started, there was a scratching noise at the door. The door then seemed to open of its own volition, allowing a small white dog to enter the room. 

“Well, this is a surprise,” Ignis said with a smile. 

Cloud lit up, recognizing the small dog. “Hey, Pryna!” Unfortunately, instead of trotting over to him, Pryna’s tail stopped wagging. She tilted her head and whined. 

“Huh, weird,” Noctis said. “She’s not normally like that.”

“...Do I smell weird from camp, Pryna?” Cloud tried. “Is that the problem?” He carefully held his hand out for Pryna to smell. The small dog did so and allowed Cloud to pet her, but her tail remained still. That would have to do for now. 

Thankfully, Noctis joined him at his side, “What are you doing here, girl?” He asked. “Luna have something for Prompto?” Noctis reached into the small bag on her back and pulled out an envelope. “Looks like she wanted to say welcome back.” 

“And she couldn’t call or text me, why?” Cloud asked. 

Noctis sighed, “I told you, I’m working on it, she's doing her best, okay?” He shook his head, a smile pulling at his face, “I swear, just getting her to make a call right is draining.”

Cloud spotted the small smile and gave him a nudge, “You love it, you big softie.”

“Shut up,” Noctis nudged him back, flushing a bit. 

Cloud gave Pryna a pat and took the envelope, opening it and reading it. Inside was a sweet little note, welcoming him back home from camp, complete with a flower pressed into the paper at the bottom along with her signature. Something told Cloud that he should introduce Aerith to Lady Luna if this plan worked.“Thanks, Pryna,” He said, giving her a pat. Pryna whined a bit more but then trotted to another part of the room and lay down. 

“Hmm, odd,” Ignis hummed. “I guess she isn’t expecting a reply.”

“Pryna’s always been the weirder dog,” Noctis said. “Maybe she just wants to hang around for a while before heading back to Tenebrae.” Cloud made no comment on the matter and they went back to their game. 

* * *

Eventually, the time came for Cloud to get back home. It was odd; as much as he wanted to desperately spend time with his Dad, he felt a bit sad to leave. Hanging out with Nocis and Ignis was a lot of fun. Gladio had even stopped by at some point and only added to the camaraderie that they all seemed to have.

Regardless, Cloud bade farewell to Noctis and headed back to the Citadel building, where his father was waiting. “Hey Dad!” Cloud just about ran into him for a short hug. 

“Geez, I go to work for a day and you miss me already?” Cor teased. 

“It’s been eight weeks,” Cloud said as they walked to the car, Cor’s arm around him. “I just got you back, I’m allowed to miss you.” 

“Fair enough,” Cor chuckled. “So, how was his Highness?” 

“Eh, the same,” Cloud answered neutrally. “How about you? Anything exciting happen?” 

“Prompto, you don’t wanna hear about my boring day,” Cor said. 

“Well, maybe I do,” Cloud pressed. “Try me; what’s a day in the life of a Marshal like?” Cloud did his best to mimic Prompto’s wide eyes, the kind he did when he was truly interested in hearing about something. 

Cor smiled and squeezed him, “Alright, how can I say no to that face?” 

As they got in the car, the conversation started, Cloud had already come to a conscious decision. Having a Dad was great, and the fact that it was Cor made it even better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, someone brought up the fact that Luna and Noct never call or text in the game despite iPhones existing so I got the sudden idea that Luna's so used to Oracle shit and mystical stuff that she's tech-illiterate, hence the Doggo Messaging Service she loves to use. And that's my headcanon for the day, thank you XD


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is going great so far, and Prompto gets a taste of combat with Cloud's team

Prompto stood at the sink next to his mom, helping her clean the dishes after dinner. It had been three days since The Switch, and everything had been going wonderfully. At least, for Prompto it had. He hoped Cloud was faring alright over on his end. 

Just as that thought entered his head, his, or rather, Cloud’s, cellphone rang. The ID read ‘Other Half’, a clever contact name they had come up with in case someone else was holding the phone. 

Prompto sucked in a small breath; he had forgotten about their scheduled call to check on each other. “Mom, do you mind if I…?” 

Claudia waved her hand, “I’ll finish up, you do whatever it is you mercenaries do.” 

Prompto nodded gratefully and stepped away before answering. “Hello?” 

“Prom?” Cloud asked softly. “Checking in.” 

“Hey, it’s you,” Prompto said, keeping his cool, putting on a fake conversation. “Hold on, let me go check.” Luckily, his mom didn’t give him a second glance as he hurried upstairs. 

“Clear?” Cloud asked. 

Prompto hurried to his room and shut the door. “We’re clear,” He dropped his fake voice, and everything spilled out. “Oh my god, Mom is amazing, I can’t believe I grew up not knowing her!” Prompto gushed. “She’s smart and nice, and she can shoot like it’s nothing! I knew I got my sharpshooting skills from somewhere!” 

Cloud chuckled, “Yeah, we’ve been trying to get her to pick up a weapon but she won’t have it,” He shrugged, “Not that I mind; doesn’t really suit her.” 

“Yeah, I’m with ya there,” Prompto nodded. “How about you? How’s Dad and Noct and everyone?” 

“I’m honestly still processing it all,” Cloud admitted. “Just...having a Dad it...it feels unreal,” He frowned, “But…” 

“But? But what?” Prompto asked. 

“I dunno, Dad just seems...kinda uneasy?” Cloud tried. “I mean he seems fine when I’m around but when he thinks I’m not looking he seems tense.” 

“Ask him to do a sparring session with you,” Prompto said. “That’ll get him to loosen up, trust me.” 

“It won’t be out of character?” Cloud asked. 

“Nah, Dad knows I know when he’s feeling down, he’ll be up for it.” He said. “It’s how we always vent or talk things out if we’re going through something rough.” 

“I gotta say, having a sparring area all to myself is pretty awesome,” Cloud admitted. 

“Don’t get too comfy with my privileges, now,” Prompto teased. 

“Same to you,” Cloud shot back, sitting on his own bed. “So, anything coming up?” 

“Uhh, we got a Zolom hunt near a Chocobo farm tomorrow and uh, a mission stopping some Shinra guys at North Corel the day after,” Prompto said. 

Cloud sighed, “Yeah, get used to hearing Shinra; those assholes have been relentless lately.” 

“How about you?” Prompto asked. “Has Noct dragged you into a bajillion King’s Knight tournaments yet?” 

“You have no idea…” Cloud muttered. “But Gladio said we’re also driving out to do a little hunting the day after tomorrow; something about Noct needing to keep his skills up with real world experience, or something.” 

Prompto chuckled, “Yeah, sounds like Gladio,” He said. “And no one’s caught on to you?” 

“Nope,” Cloud smirked. “You?” 

“They don’t have a clue,” Prompto said, sounding just as proud. “I feel so devious!” 

“Well don’t let your guard down yet; you still have to find out how Mom met Dad,” Cloud said. “I’m probably gonna interrogate Dad with that sparring idea tomorrow.” 

Prompto frowned, “Dude, don’t say interrogate, it makes it sound like we’re Niffleheim spies or something.” 

Cloud rolled his eyes, “Fine, I’ll  _ prod  _ him about it.” 

“Better,” Prompto grinned. “Oh, that reminds me, has Noct given you access to the Armiger yet?” Prompto had asked Noctis to cut him off before he went to camp, to make the experience more realistic, and since he figured it’d be pointless. It was a decision that he was now very proud of himself for, as the Armiger could have easily given them both away. 

“Not yet,” Cloud said. “I’ll remind him before we head out.” 

“Awesome,” Prompto said. “And remember how it works?” 

“Yeah yeah,” Cloud waved his hand. “If I mess up, I’ll just say I’m rusty; seems to work with a lot of stuff since we were away for two months.” 

“Yeah,” Prompto agreed. “It’s like that camp was tailor made for us to try and pull this off.” 

Cloud hummed, “Well, good luck working with my crew tomorrow; you’re in for a wild ride.” 

Prompto frowned, “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” 

“If that helps you, then sure,” 

“How comforting…” 

“Don’t forget about Mom, too,” Cloud reminded. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll ask once we finish the mission tomorrow,” Prompto said. 

“Alright, good luck.” 

“Same to you,” 

“Night.” 

“Night.” Prompto hung up and flopped onto his bed. He probably should’ve asked Cloud for any last minute advice for tomorrow. Eh, it couldn’t be any different from hunting with the guys. Everything would be fine.

* * *

Everything was _not_ fine! As Prompto lay in wait with the rest of AVALANCHE, keeping an eye on their targeted Zolom that was slithering under the swampy grounds ahead of them, Prompto was starting to regret everything. 

The mission was simple; the big monster was sneaking out of its marsh at night and killing Chocobos on the nearby farm, so they had to kill it. Simple, right? Except Zoloms were way bigger than Prompto ever thought possible and they had venomous fangs to boot! Prompto was not mentally prepared for this, even though he totally should be! 

At camp, he and Cloud had run each other through their usual battle strategies and formations, but Prompto could safely admit that compared to his, Cloud’s were more complicated, having a party of nine people in total, technically ten if you counted Reeve and Cait Sith as separate members. 

Cloud reassured him that any plans they usually had ended with them improvising and winging it, which inevitably led to, as Yuffie eloquently called it, ‘hitting the damn thing until it dies’, but that didn’t mean Prompto wasn’t nervous about it! He didn’t even know if he was any good at improvising, thanks to the airtight plans from Ignis that he had grown so used to. If Prompto messed up, he doubted he could blame his actions on simply slacking off at camp. Red was already giving him enough strange looks, so arousing more suspicion was the last thing he needed. 

“Cloud, are you okay?” Prompto blinked and looked to see Tifa looking at him in concern; he then realized his hands were shaking a bit. 

Prompto sucked in a breath and willed them to stop, “Yeah, I’m fine,” He said quickly. “Are we all ready?” 

“Born ready, kid,” Cid grinned. “It’s been a while since we’ve fought some big game.” 

“And I got the Poisana,” Aerith added, showing the materia in her staff. “If you get poisoned, let me know and I’ll be right there.” 

“Understood,” Red nodded. 

“Alright Cait, you’re up,” Barret said. 

The robot cat smiled and saluted, “Leave it to me!” Cait Sith tapped his mount on the head, and Mog waddled out towards the marsh. 

“Why do you always insist on making him the bait?” Reeve hissed, watching Cait Sith with worry. 

“Cause he’s loud and distracting,” Yuffie responded. 

“And besides, you can just build another one if something goes wrong,” Barret added. 

“You say that like it’s easy,” Reeve grumbled. 

“He’ll be fine,” Vincent said calmly. 

“We won’t let anything happen to him,” Aerith promised. Prompto gave a nod in agreement; that robot cat was actually really adorable, he’d never let it get eaten by a giant snake. 

They watched as Cait Sith reached the marsh and pulled out his megaphone. Mog started prancing around while Cait Sith yelled into the device, and in no time at all, an angry Zolom rose out of the swampy water and charged Cait Sith. “Now!” Barret yelled. With the Zolom not facing them, the team burst out of their hiding place. 

Prompto took a deep breath and unsheathed Cloud’s Buster Sword. ‘Watch over me, bro…’ He leaped up, remembering Cloud’s lessons and landed his first blow on the Zolom, officially starting the fight. 

Immediately, Prompto watched as his new party fell into their usual roles. Tifa, Cid, Red, and himself handled the fighting up close, while Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, and Aerith hung back with bullets, shuriken, or magic. Cait Sith seemed to be the only one who alternated between the two positions, either ordering Mog to go in for an attack or falling back to unleash a magic spell at Reeve’s command. 

It quickly gave Prompto the feeling of organized chaos. While everyone was doing their own thing, if you looked at the right time, you could see two or three of them work together to pull off a combo. It felt casual and friendly, unlike the faint, underlying tension Prompto usually felt when hunting with Noctis and the others. The tension that said ‘You better not let the future King of Insomnia die to some stupid animal or else’. 

“Cloud, heads up!” Barret’s yell, snapped him back to reality, just in time to dodge the Zolom attempting to bite his head off. 

With the creature much closer, Prompto remembered the materia in the Buster Sword; may as well give that a shot. Cloud’s lessons returned to his mind and the materia lit up as he summoned Firaga, shooting at the snake’s head. 

Prompto couldn’t help but feel a little giddy as he did so; summoning magic from your hands was  _ so  _ much cooler than just throwing a flask! He could actually _aim_ like this! Prompto followed up with a Thundaga, barely keeping himself from grinning like an idiot; he felt so powerful like this! Unfortunately, this only seemed to piss the Zolom off. 

“Look out!” Vincent yelled (raising his voice for the first time since Prompto’s met him) as the Zolom’s tail began to wave wildly. Everyone scrambled to keep from getting smacked, but some weren’t so lucky, Red and Yuffie flying to the ground. 

The Zolom then went back underground, making Cid swear loudly. “Don’t move!” 

Everyone held still, their eyes darting around for any sign of movement under them. Unfortunately, the Zolom wasn’t the patient type. 

Prompto turned sharply at Reeve’s cry, as a large mound appeared under him, sending him up into the air, followed by Cait Sith. The mound moved at an alarmingly fast rate, knocking aside everything in its path one by one. Prompto tried to time a jump, but even underground, the Zolom was bigger than he expected, making his feet fly out from under him. 

The Zolom then reemerged and added salt to the wound by smacking Prompto again with its tail and anyone else unlucky enough to get caught in its path. The Buster Sword was knocked from his grip and Prompto skidded to a halt on the ground, the sword landing a few yards away from him. 

Prompto lifted his head and saw a glimmer just within arms reach; one of Vincent’s pistols! He must have dropped it when the Zolom hit him! The Zolom hissed and started slithering towards Reeve and Prompto went on autopilot. He snatched up the fallen handgun, got to his knees, and took aim. 

Prompto fired a well-aimed shot to the back of its head, specifically at an open wound that Cid’s spear had made earlier, making the snake hiss and face him again. The Zolom slithered towards him and Prompto began emptying the cartridge. With each shot, the Zolum staggered with a hiss of pain. 

Prompto finally found his feet under him and ran to the side and spotted Yuffie opposite him. “Yuffie, aim for its eye!” Prompto yelled before putting a bullet through the left one. 

“Copy that!” Yuffie tossed her large Shuriken which promptly lodged itself in the beast’s remaining right eye. The Zolom hissed in agony and started waving about erratically. 

“Now’s our chance! Take ‘em down!” Barret yelled, firing up his machine gun. Everyone went all in, pounding the staggered Zolom with everything they had. 

“Kid, finish it off!” Cid yelled to Prompto. 

Prompto blinked, “Huh…?” 

“The Shiva Materia, hurry!” Aerith added. Oh right! The Materia in his armband! 

Prompto concentrated as the materia started to glow; he assumed this was gonna be like an ice spell or- 

Prompto’s train of thought was cut off as light surrounded him, a portal of light appeared in the air, and Shiva appeared right before his eyes. Prompto couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping; he just...summoned a god?! But only Noct could do that...right?! 

Shiva flew up to the Zolom, her calm smile on her face as she held up her hands. A giant ice shard appeared above the Zolom, and with a flick of her finger, it dropped. The ice smashed into the Zolom, making the monster hiss loudly and writhe until it finally keeled over and didn’t get back up. Everyone deflated in relief and Shiva vanished. 

“Done and done,” Cid remarked. 

“Thank goodness…” Cait Sith commented, deflating on Mog tiredly. Prompto couldn’t stop staring at the spot Shiva just occupied, feeling like he just moved a mountain; is that what Noctis felt like whenever he summoned something? Holy shit… 

“That was awesome, Cloud!” Yuffie cheered, running up to Prompto, snapping him back into his facade. “That thing you did with the gun was so cool; you totally took that thing off-guard!” Oh gods, he did do that, didn’t he? 

“Since when did you become a sharpshooter, kid?” Cid asked. 

Prompto scrambled for an answer. “Uh that friend I made at camp knew how to use guns,” Prompto lied, “and so uh, I decided it...wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn something new, you know?” He said. “I mean, we may as well have someone who can shoot straight.” He gave Barret a look. 

“The hell is that supposed to mean?!” Barret snapped. 

“You know what it means,” Prompto responded, making Barret growl. Prompto held back a snort; poking this guy was no different than poking Gladio. 

“Guess we better let the Chocobo ranch know the good news,” Tifa said, stretching a bit. She gave Aerith a smile when her healing magic washed over her, as the girl was making rounds, healing any injuries they sustained. Prompto’s gaze fell on Reeve as Aerith knelt next to him; he had the most injuries compared to the others; that fall must have really messed him up. 

“This is why we tell you to stay back,” Vincent said to Reeve, nodding his thanks as Prompto returned his gun to him. 

“Aww c’mon Vinnie, you can’t blame him for wanting to help,” Yuffie said. 

“I didn’t expect things to get out of hand like that…” Reeve said, muttering a thanks to Aerith as she finished healing him, and helped him up. 

“These guys never play by the rules,” Cid remarked, poking the large corpse with his spear. 

“Long as the Chocobos are safe,” Prompto commented. 

“We should hurry,” Red said. “If we make good time back to the ranch, we should be able to get back to Nibelheim by nightfall.” 

“What was our reward for this again?” Yuffie asked as the group started back the way they came. 

“Decent amount of Gil,” Barret said. 

“Don’t forget the Chocobo Materia,” Cait Sith chirped. 

“What does Chocobo materia do?” Aerith wondered out loud. 

“I assume summon Chocobos,” Vincent answered plainly. 

“What good is that gonna be in a fight?” Cid scoffed. 

“Chocobos are resilient, they can have their uses,” Red said. 

Yuffie snorted, “Is this coming from that time you tried to eat one and basically got drop-kicked?” 

“That was one time!” Red spluttered. 

Prompto barely muffled a snort, making Yuffie grin, “See? Even Cloud thought it was funny!” 

“It’s always a funny time when Red’s instincts get the better of him,” Barret chuckled. 

“The moral of the story is, don’t mess with Chocobos,” Tifa said. Prompto managed to hide a smile as he walked alongside them. He could definitely see why Cloud hung around with these guys. 

After the long Chocobo ride back to Nibelheim, Prompto was ready to fall on his face. There was no way he’d be able to pay attention to any conversation he initiated with Claudia. He would ask about Dad tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else can't wait to see the rest of the main party fight in the remake? Can't wait to watch Cait Sith's moogle mount spazz around and pound shit in HD XD 
> 
> (Also banter; give us ALL THE BANTER Square. FFXV style banter times 100, please and thank you)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud hangs out with the Chocobros and Prompto learns part of his parents' history together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, writing fights SUCK XP
> 
> Also, has anyone else had that moment where you're agonizing over canon timelines to make sure your fic fits only to remember that it's YOUR AU and canon can go fuck itself? XD

“Dad, you wanna go spar today?” Cloud really didn’t know how to broach the subject, so he just decided to come out and ask as they ate breakfast. It wasn’t like he had anything to fear, it was his Dad after all. 

Recognition flashed in Cor’s eyes, but he put on an easy smile, “I think I can spare some free time soon,” He said. “I definitely want a chance to see any new skills you picked up at camp.” 

Cloud frowned, “Soon?” He had asked if they could do it today. 

“Well, you’re going hunting with His Highness tomorrow, aren’t you?” Cor said. “I don’t wanna wear you out.” 

Cloud’s frown grew deeper; sparring wouldn’t wear him out, it wouldn’t wear  _ anyone  _ out, especially if it was the day before a real fight. “So...when can we?” 

Cor paused a bit before answering, “The day after your hunt should be fine; give me time to make sure nothing important is coming up.” Cor put a hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, we’ll get that sparring time in, I promise.” 

Cloud put on a strained smile, “Okay Dad.” Cloud watched his Dad leave the kitchen and let his frown return. Cor was avoiding telling him something, obviously. Something was definitely up. “What do you think, Pryna?” He asked. “Is something wrong with Dad?”

The little white dog looked up from her spot on the floor and tilted her head. Prompto had said that when Pryna visited she tended to stay with him for only a day or two. But Pryna didn’t do that often so what was keeping her here? As expected, the dog didn’t answer Cloud and continued to stare at him. Cloud sighed; where was Red when you needed him?

Hopefully, he would find out what was up with Dad soon, if he kept his promise. Cloud shook his head; Prompto said that Cor always did his best to make time for him. Maybe he really was just busy. Everything would be fine.

* * *

The next day, Ignis picked Cloud up right on schedule, Noctis and Gladio already in the car. Cloud had been sitting on the front step, Pryna lying nearby, having still refused to go back to Luna. 

“See ya tonight, Pryna,” Cloud said as he got up. Pryna only tilted her head at him. Cloud swore, that dog had been judging him since they first saw each other. 

“Hey Prom,” Noctis greeted. 

“Hey Noct,” Cloud responded, climbing into the backseat next to him. “So, what are we killing today?” 

“That remains yet to be seen,” Ignis said. 

“Time to see if that camp of yours paid off,” Gladio said. 

“I think you’ll find I have quite a few new tricks up my sleeve,” Cloud said, easily channeling his brother’s confidence. “Oh and uh, speaking of, Noct, could you, uh, give me my Armiger entry again?” 

Noctis blinked, “Oh shit, yeah sure thing dude.” 

Here it was...the moment of truth. Cloud tried not to seem tense as Noctis placed a hand on his shoulder. A soft glow came from under his palm, sending a warm wave through his entire being. Cloud waited with bated breath for something to happen, for Noctis to say that something was wrong, but instead, the prince remained the same. 

“Alright, you’re all set,” Noctis took his hand away. 

“Awesome,” Cloud said, his panic finally dying down. It actually worked! Well, he should wait to test it before celebrating, but still! The first hurdle was done! 

Cloud felt any remaining worry melt away as conversations with the Prince and his retainers filled the air as they drove...until he remembered that they were going to be fighting together and one slip-up could give Cloud’s whole position away. 

Cloud was used to fighting alongside a large group of people who relied on trust rather than airtight plans; this was something entirely new. Now he had to convince his new friends that he was Prompto while fighting. At least with Prompto being a gunman, it meant Cloud would have to spend a lot of time in the back, away from prying eyes. Surely that would help his odds. 

Cloud forced himself to interact with the others as they drove beyond the wall, eventually coming to a stop at the nearest Hunting Post. 

While Ignis and Noctis were looking over a board for any hunting jobs, Cloud practiced summoning Prompto’s gun and sending it back. Thankfully, only his first few tries were failures, the next few kinda shaky. After that, it was as simple as thinking. Cloud pulled the gun out with ease, then put it back, then pulled it out again. It was such an odd feeling, being able to call a weapon with such ease. 

“What are you doing?” Gladio asked, leaning on the car. 

“Just stretching my muscle memory,” Cloud replied easily, pulling the gun out and putting it back again. “Spending two months without the Armiger is weird.” Gladio shrugged and didn’t question anything further. 

Eventually, Noctis and Ignis returned, job in hand. “Who’s the lucky winner?” Gladio asked. 

“At his Highness’ request, there’s a Dualhorn that needs handling,” Ignis said, a hint of irritation in his voice. “Why he requested something so large, I do not understand.” 

“I told you, Couerls are boring! I’m ready to take on something bigger!” Noctis protested. 

“Big talk,” Gladio remarked. “But it’s never a bad idea to get out of your comfort zone; let’s see if you can back this up.” 

“Gladio!” 

“Iggy, I keep telling you, you keep coddling him like this and he’s never gonna grow up,” Gladio argued. “Let’s see if Princess can keep up with something tougher; it’ll be a good learning experience.” 

“So what’s the rundown of this thing?” Cloud asked out of habit to steer the conversation back to the task at hand. 

Ignis looked at him, “Referring to…?” 

Cloud blinked; he guessed Prompto wasn’t very inquisitive about hunts. “You know, what should we watch out for,” He said. “I mean, if we’re fighting something new, may as well know what we’re getting into so Noct doesn’t do something stupid.” 

Noctis glared at him while Gladio let out a bark of laughter, “Thanks a lot.” 

Ignis cleared his throat, “Well, to answer your question, the horns are the biggest danger; while they’re slow even while running, their size makes them difficult to avoid attacks up close.” 

Cloud nodded, soaking in the information; this was sounding like a fight where just having Prompto’s gun would come in handy. “Sounds like a fight a shooter like me can thrive in.” 

“Someone’s eager,” Gladio commented. 

“Who are you and what have you done with Prompto?” Noctis teased sharply (though Cloud couldn’t stop the brief panic flashing in his eyes). 

“What, I’m allowed to be confident!” 

“Indeed,” Ignis looked amused as well. “Come now, we have quite the drive ahead of us.” Cloud jumped back into the backseat, careful to avoid eye contact with anyone until he took a few breaths and slowed his pulse; that had been too close for comfort.

* * *

Finding the Dualhorn was easy. The four of them were standing on a small cliff overlooking it as it walked about lazily. Cloud stared at it, taking it in as best he could from the distance as Ignis softly went over his strategy. 

Cloud had to admit, going into a fight with an actual plan that had a beginning, middle, and end was a breath of fresh air. He was so used to improvising and winging it with his usual team, not planning more than a simple ‘let’s get the jump on it’ plan, only to then devolve into the plan of ‘go wild’. 

The feeling got even better once the fight started, Noctis going in for an initial warp strike (seeing the warping in action was jarring). The group moved like a well-oiled machine; even though Cloud had never been part of the machine to begin with, he felt like he did. Communication was clear, sharp, and everyone gave their all or pulled back, ready to support each other at a moment’s notice. Having only three other party members to worry about instead of eight or nine made the fight much less stressful for Cloud. It allowed him to focus on the task at hand, taking down the target. 

However, that didn’t mean everything went perfectly. While they were holding their own, this Dualhorn was  _ stubborn _ . Despite catching it off-guard and landing hits, this thing refused to go down! Cloud growled as he continued to fire from his spot near the cliffbase; it was so frustrating to see his attacks having no visual effect. He was so used to being up close and personal, watching enemies at least flinch or stagger slightly when he hit them with his Buster Sword. This ‘chip damage’, as Prompto called it, didn’t feel helpful at all. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Noctis warp a distance away before leaning on his knees and panting. Prompto mentioned something about Noctis getting worn out if he warped too much. And whether by pure bad luck or some divine intervention, the Dualhorn saw the opportunity and ran with it. The beast knocked Gladio and Ignis aside, easily winding them, and started charging at the prince at top speed. 

“Noct! Warp!” Cloud yelled. 

Noctis turned just in time to see the Dualhorn right on him. Everyone yelled in alarm as Noctis was slammed by his giant head, miraculously missing the horns. But the Prince didn’t get off easy as he slammed into the cliffside and slid to the ground just as the creature began to charge him again, this time intent on impaling him. Gladio and Ignis were too far away to get to him, Noctis was too dazed to move, and Cloud was running towards him before he even realized it. 

Without thinking, Cloud reached into the ether and grabbed Gladio’s greatsword, the weight easy in his hands. He ran forward and leapt into the air with a loud cry and brought the sword down onto the Dual Horn’s back. He then dragged the sword up its back as he ran towards its head before yanking it out and slamming it into its skull. The monster tripped over its own feet and just about deflated under the sword’s weight before skidding to a halt a few mere feet from the Prince. 

“Noct!” Ignis and Gladio appeared by Noctis’ side, helping him up and away from the downed beast. 

“You okay?” Gladio asked. 

“Yeah, fine,” Noctis nodded. Cloud let out a breath of relief, removing the sword from the large skull it was embedded in and giving it a twirl before gazing at it with a small smirk as he stood on top of the carcass; this thing was top-notch. He hated to admit it, but it could easily overtake his Buster Sword in terms of strength and raw power. 

Cloud turned around only to see three sets of eyes staring at him; oh gods, he just about blew his cover! Play it off, play it off! “Whew, that was close, huh?” Cloud said, sending the sword back and jogging over to them with an easy smile like nothing happened. “You okay, Noct?” 

“Y-Yeah...fine…” Noctis managed, probably registering what he just saw. 

“Prompto…” Ignis said. “Is there something-” 

“How the hell did you do that?!” Gladio exclaimed, cutting to the chase. “Since when can you wield a greatsword?!” 

“Camp,” Cloud blurted out immediately. Ignis looked skeptical so Cloud kept going. “Uh, that friend I made knew how to use one, and uh, he gave me some pointers.” He shrugged, “You know, figured it’d be better to know how to use more than one weapon, right…?” He gave a sheepish smile. 

“I...I guess,” Noctis finally managed. 

“Well c’mon guys, we got a hunt to finish, don’t we?” Cloud said, and the tension slowly melted away. Although Cloud couldn’t help but think that Ignis was looking at him inquisitively the rest of the day. 

* * *

Prompto sat at the kitchen table, having just finished dinner with his mom, Claudia currently starting the dishes. He had been going over all day about how to broach the subject about Dad to her. But luckily, he was pretty sure he had a plan. Cloud was blunt, so maybe this would work. 

So, with a deep breath, he came out and said it. “Mom, how did you meet Dad?” 

Claudia froze for a split second before letting out a small, nervous laugh, “Why the sudden interest, Cloud?” 

Prompto shrugged, “Just...a few kids at camp were talking and...I dunno, I got curious.” He looked at his hands. "I know you don't like to talk about it but..." 

Claudia looked at the plate she was drying before sighing as she put it away. “I suppose I owe you at least that much,” She said. She sat across from Prompto, folding her hands on the table. “It was...a very long time ago,” Claudia started. “I was young at the time, a simple girl from Nibelheim who, as usual, wanted to go out and live in the big city to start my new life.” She smiled lightly. “At first I considered Midgar, but instead-” 

“You went to Insomnia,” Prompto cut in. 

“I did,” Claudia nodded, not phased by the interruption. “I know you’ve never really traveled to large cities, Cloud, but Insomnia...it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” She smiled wistfully. “It’s bustling and lively, something new to see around every corner. It was so easy to get lost in the sights only to realize you were actually lost.” 

“Is that what happened?” Prompto asked. 

“I’m getting to that, be patient,” Claudia teased. “It was a month or two after I had moved; things were going well, although I still had to look at signs twice while traveling. I was eating at a small restaurant and was just about to leave myself when I saw a young man get up and leave while I was paying. I happened to look up and saw a wallet on the chair he had been sitting on, so naturally, I grabbed it and took off after him.” 

Claudia smiled, “Now, Insomnia is a very crowded city; if you lose someone in the crowd it’s almost impossible to find them right away. All I had to go on was the beret he happened to be wearing.” Prompto leaned forward, getting engrossed in the story. “I must have chased him all over the city because I was out of breath when I finally caught up to him and saw his face for the first time.” 

“And that was Dad?” Prompto asked. 

“It was,” Claudia nodded. “He looked downright horrified that he had forgotten something so important, even more so when he realized I had been trying to catch up to him that entire time just to return it. So, to make it up to me, he decided to treat me to a drink; wouldn’t take no for an answer.” 

Prompto smiled; that certainly sounded like Dad. “So was that your first date?” He couldn’t help but ask. 

Claudia snorted, “We had coffee at a cafe that was a hole in the wall, I’d hardly call that a date,” She said. “But regardless, once we had finished, I realized that I had no idea where I was; I had followed this man without even glancing at any sign and was probably miles from home!” 

“What did you do?” Prompto asked. 

“Well, I said as much to your father, and he asked me which district I lived in so he could escort me back,” Claudia said. “I had been very adamant about talking to strangers up to then, but I couldn’t help but feel like I could trust him. He didn’t ask for any more details about me or my direct address. He trusted that I could find my own way without him once I was somewhere familiar; it was...refreshing.” 

Prompto couldn’t help but notice the slight flush in Claudia’s cheeks. “He must have thought highly of you,” He said. 

“I like to think he did,” Claudia said. “We talked a bit more properly as we traveled, and when we arrived in my district, we decided that seeing each other again wasn’t a bad idea. I said he could be my personal guide.” Claudia laughed softly at the memory. “And after that, well...the rest is history.” 

“How long did you live in Insomnia?” Prompto asked. 

“About...four years, I believe,” Claudia answered. “A lot of things changed during that time; I hope Regis is doing well, it’s been so long.” 

Prompto couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping, “You  _ met _ King Regis?!” 

Claudia giggled, “Well, back then it was just Prince Regis; and well when the Prince appears at your door wanting to know who’s been taking his friend’s attention, how can I say no? Oh, your father just about threw a fit when he found out Regis had left the Citadel unsupervised just to crash one of our dates.” 

Prompto continued to gape at his mother, “Did...Did you know anyone else?” He asked weakly. “Through Dad?” 

“Mostly just Regis and the rest of his little entourage,” Claudia waved her hand. “They were quite a crew, certainly kept your father on his toes. But they were lovely people; sometimes I almost felt like I was a part of their little team myself.”

Prompto was stunned; she was in good graces with the King himself, and likely Clarus as well, and she talked about it so casually! How?! 

“Close your mouth, Cloud, you’ll attract flies,” Claudia said, snapping him back to reality. “It’s nothing to be so shocked about, all we did was spend time together and those days are long gone.” 

“Uh, right,” Prompto cleared his throat, keeping his voice from slipping back to normal. “So, uh, Dad,” Prompto decided to change the subject. “What was he like back then?” 

“He was a stubborn man,” Claudia said. “Always so serious and devoted to his work that having a good time was almost alien to him.” She smiled. “Dragging him away from that training hall and into a theater or a restaurant was always a fun challenge.” 

“Dad didn’t like to open up much, huh?” Prompto said; that may explain Cloud’s usual demeanor. 

“Oh, you have no idea,” Claudia laughed. “But when I managed to break that shell of his open…” She looked up wistfully. “His eyes would light up when he told me about the battles he fought, the days he spent with his friends, what stupid stunt they tried to pull...that light always made the rest of the world fall away.” 

Prompto couldn’t help but smile; his mom sounded so happy...so then what- 

“Well, I think that’s enough about your father for a day,” Claudia said, getting back up. “I hope it was what you wanted to hear.” 

“Yeah...it was, Mom,” Prompto said with a smile. “Thanks for telling me.” 

Claudia smiled sadly and walked over to him, “I never told you before Cloud, but...you’re a lot like him,” She said, placing a hand on his cheek. “I’m sorry you never got the chance to meet him.” 

“It’s okay, Mom,” Prompto said, smiling at the pure irony. “I’m just...glad to know something about him.” 

Claudia ran her hand through his hair, “Help me clean up?” 

“Sure,” Prompto got up and followed his mom, almost twitching with excitement; he couldn’t wait to tell Cloud about this!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit Cloud, you had ONE JOB! You almost blew it!
> 
> Also I would like to personally thank the story 'Our Boy Cor' for giving me the inspiration boost I needed for Claudia's story. Young Regis and his squad are now something I want more of :3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a head when Cloud talks with Cor, and the plan begins to feel threatened

“And then she told me that you remind her of him! Well, she said it to me, thinking I was you, but you get the idea.” 

Cloud smiled as he could practically see Prompto’s smile through the phone, “Yeah that’s...really nice to hear; she never said anything like that before.” 

“Well, maybe Dad will be the same way,” Prompto said before sighing. “Honestly though, I should feel happy but...I’m just confused more than anything; you should’ve heard her, Cloud, she sounded happy! It really sounded like she and Dad got along super well!” 

“Did she say what happened?” Cloud asked. 

“I wouldn’t be telling you this if she did,” Prompto said. “I guess it was rough for both of them.” 

“Well, here’s hoping that Dad will shed more light on that,” Cloud said. 

“Yeah, good luck, bro,” Prompto said. “I feel like we’re almost through this.” 

“Gods, I hope,” Cloud sighed. “I’ve had too many close calls; that dog of yours is on to me, I swear.” 

Prompto laughed, “Yeah, Pryna is sharper than she looks; be glad she can’t talk.” 

“Trust me, I am,” Cloud rolled his eyes. He looked behind him to see Pryna watching him from the doorway, “Gods, she’s even looking at me right now! I’ve basically blown my cover!” 

“Aww, give her some scratches for me, will ya?” Prompto said. “Tell her I miss her!” 

“Tell her yourself,” Cloud knelt down and held up the phone, “Say hi to Prompto, Pryna.” To his surprise, Pryna’s ears perked up and she trotted over to him, letting out a bark. 

“Hi, Pryna!” Prompto called through the phone. “I’ll be home soon, girl! Be nice to Cloud, okay?” Pryna whined and tried to paw at the phone but Cloud pulled it away. 

“Your dog is weird,” Cloud remarked. 

“Says the dude with a talking dog,” Prompto replied smugly. “And she’s not my dog, she’s Luna’s.” 

“Whatever.” 

“Don’t you have a sparring session with our father to get to?” Prompto poked. 

“Great, an excuse to not talk to you,” Cloud grumbled. 

“Aw, you know you love me, bro,” Prompto cooed. 

“Shut up…” Cloud muttered. 

“Yeah, I know, love you too,” Prompto continued. “Call me the second you finish; I wanna know all the details!” 

“I’ll get as many as I can,” Cloud said. “In the meantime, you keep up the act.” 

“Oh please, I’m a pro at this!” Prompto bragged. “They’re not gonna find out.” 

“Famous last words,” Cloud remarked. “Talk to you later.” 

“See ya.”

* * *

Cloud walked with Cor towards the training hall, telling him about the hunt the day before. Cor listened and responded appropriately and they finally arrived. 

“I’m sorry I blew you off before kiddo,” Cor said as they entered. 

“It’s okay, Dad, I mean we’re here now, right?” Cloud said, bouncing on his heels. 

“You must really want to get something off your chest if you’re this excited,” Cor commented. 

“You have no idea, Dad,” Cloud grinned. 

“Alright, what should it be today?” Cor asked. “Weapons or hand-to-hand?” 

“Hand-to-Hand,” Cloud answered; the last thing he wanted was another greatsword incident. They went to the proper area and put on some padded fingerless gloves and moved to the middle of the ring. Prompto had only just started learning hand-to-hand combat before camp, so it wasn’t hard for Prompto to run him through basics. And Cloud had been making the most out of his free time by training and building his own skills up. Though he doubted that was enough to keep his father from laying him flat. 

Cloud could barely contain his excitement from sparring with his actual father, so when they started, Cloud let that energy burst forth. Let’s just say, there was a reason why Cor was also in charge of overlooking Crownsguard trainees. 

Even when Cloud caught him by surprise, it felt like Cor adapted easily. And Cor never let his guard down, like Cloud did when he thought he had him on the ropes, which led to him lying on his back, breathless, with Cor holding him down. 

“Man…” Cloud breathed. “Not even camp can prepare me for you…” 

“Alright, Prom, lay it on me,” Cor said, offering him a hand. “What’s on your mind?” 

Cloud smiled and took it. “I’ve been meaning to ask…” He was pulled to his feet. “...what happened between you and Mom?” 

Cor clearly hadn’t been expecting that question; something flashed in his eyes that Cloud couldn’t quite pin down. His face then hardened and he cleared his throat, taking his gloves off. “It’s uh, been a while since you’ve asked about her,” He said, trying to keep his voice steady as he moved to put them back. “Why the sudden interest?” 

Cloud looked away and rubbed his arm, “Well I...at camp just...a lot of the other guys talked about their parents and…” He moved next to Cor to take his own gloves off. “I figured maybe now that I’m older you’d...finally tell me.” 

Cor was silent for a moment before he sighed deeply through his nose, not looking at Cloud, “...A lot of things happened, kiddo,” He eventually said. “But I suppose it started about a year after we were married...when Regis’ father King Mors passed away.” Cloud blinked, not expecting that answer. “As expected, Regis was named the new King, so we were all scrambling to get the status quo back while everything that could go wrong was going wrong,” Cor went on. “My duties went through the roof, so I was coming back later; it made us a little harsh towards each other, but that wasn’t any kind of tipping point. Your mother knew what my job was, she expected a few late nights.” 

“Then what was it?” Cloud asked carefully. 

“As I said, a lot of things,” Cor admitted. “But work was definitely the main part of it; this job isn’t easy.” 

“I can imagine,” Cloud huffed. 

“Indeed, and unfortunately the stress came home with me a lot too; for almost three years it just felt like things were getting harder and then things started piling up,” Cor said. “Your mother got pregnant with you, the Queen was having her own difficulties with her pregnancy, Regis was stressed, Clarus was stressed,  _ I _ was stressed...it was just a mess.” He shook his head, “And maybe we both were trying to act tough or something, because we never really got to talking with each other if something was wrong so...things just kept building up until we...exploded.” 

Cloud looked at his father sadly; so it was a string of bad luck that led to the situation they were in now. “Have you ever...thought about talking to Mom again?” Cloud asked. 

A sad smile pulled at Cor’s face, “It’s not that simple, kiddo,” He said, patting his shoulder. 

_ ‘Because you tried hiding the fact that you have twins?’ _ Cloud couldn’t help but bitterly think. Cor had been wording his sentences carefully to keep from hinting at the fact that there were two of them, and their Mom was probably no different. The matter of why that was would have to come later though. Cor was clearly torn up about what had happened, so had they been right all along? Did they still actually care for each other? 

“Alright, my turn,” Cor said suddenly. “There’s something I want to talk to you about, Prom.” Cloud barely registered that his Dad had started talking to him, as he was still coming up with more and more questions. “It’s about, well...my job-” 

“Uh hang on, Dad, I think I forgot something!” And with that, Cloud turned tail and bolted out of the training hall. Cloud wasn’t one to run from things, but something about this was making him more nervous than he had ever felt before. He just needed a minute, just a bit of quiet to clear his head and get ready. I mean, maybe it wasn’t a big deal, maybe he was just overreacting. 

Cloud turned a corner only to slam right into something solid, or rather someone. “Goodness, Prompto!” 

Hands appeared on his shoulders and Cloud looked up, “Oh, Ignis!” He exclaimed. 

“In a hurry are we?” Ignis asked. 

“Uh...kinda,” Cloud said, moving around him. “Sorry about that, I’ll just-” 

“Hold it,” Ignis held his shoulder again, keeping him from leaving. “Is something troubling you?” 

Cloud frowned to hide his stirring panic, “Uh...no…” He said, keeping his cool. “Is something wrong, Iggy?” 

Ignis seemed to draw himself up a bit straighter. “I don’t know, I was hoping you could tell me. Is there something you need to talk about?” He started pacing around him. “Like...why Pryna hardly comes near you, why your eagerness to fight has increased impeccably, or why your training schedule has suddenly gone through the roof?” Cloud bit his lip; this was bad. 

“Is there something going on that we don’t know about?” Ignis asked. “If there’s something wrong, you can tell me.” 

Okay, okay, he could work with this. He tried to look as puzzled and innocent as he could. “I guess...camp changed me more than I thought, Iggy,” Cloud said. “I mean, I’m allowed to do that, right?” He put an easy smile on his face. 

A smile pulled at Ignis’ face as well. “Are you sure?” He asked. “Nothing’s wrong?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine Iggy, really,” Cloud said sincerely. 

Ignis sighed. “Very well,” He took off his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth, “It’s all just a bit strange, those small mannerisms; if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were…” Ignis trailed off. Cloud tilted his head, softly urging him to continue, but Ignis shook his head, replacing his glasses. “Nevermind,” He turned to go, “That’s impossible.” 

He started to leave, but Cloud’s curiosity got the better of him. “Almost as if I were who, Iggy?” 

Ignis glanced back at him, “No one, just my imagination.” 

Cloud couldn’t help himself. “Almost as if I were...Cloud?” 

Ignis stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned back to him, his eyes showing a rare hint of sadness. “How do you know about Cloud?” He asked. 

Cloud took a deep breath; no turning back now. “I...am Cloud,” He said softly, dropping his fake voice. Ignis’ face drastically changed to one of pure shock as he sucked in a breath. 

“Prompto!” Cor turned the corner before either of them could speak again. “Kid, why did you run off like that, you didn’t even let me finish!” 

“S-Sorry, Dad,” Cloud managed, putting his fake voice back. 

“Is everything okay?” Cor asked. 

“Yeah, just...that was a lot to take in, I...I needed a minute,” Cloud admitted. 

Cor softened in understanding and then looked up, frowning lightly. “Ignis, are you alright?” 

Cloud had completely forgotten that Ignis was still here...and that he just told him the truth. But the look on the advisor’s face was one of warmth and hope. Cloud could even see a hint of a disbelieving smile coming to his face. But the expression vanished once Ignis realized the Marshal had addressed him, “Oh! Y-Yes, I’m...I’m alright, I...I just…” Ignis couldn’t take his eyes off Cloud. 

“Ignis, why are you looking at him like that?” Cor asked. “Is something wrong?” 

Ignis blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. “No! No, nothing is wrong, everything...everything is...just fine…” Cloud couldn’t help but give a small smile back to him before Ignis righted himself, “Well, I have...duties to attend to, so I’ll just...leave you be.” Ignis glanced at Cloud one more time before briskly walking away. 

Cor looked at Prompto, “Okay, uh, kiddo...we need to talk.” Oh right, they did. 

Cloud let Cor lead him to a bench, “What about, Dad?” 

“Well...it’s about me,” Cor said as they sat down. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past few months, mostly while you were at camp, and...I wanted to tell you up front.” 

“Tell me what?” Cloud asked slowly. 

“I decided…” Cor took a deep breath. “I decided to start doing long-term missions again.” 

Cloud felt like the planet just stopped spinning. “W...What?” 

Cor sighed, “I know, I promised you a long time ago that I was done leaving the kingdom to do my job for the King-” No, no, this wasn’t happening right?! “-but things change, Prom and...I think it’s time I go back out there. If everything goes through quickly...my next assignment should be in two weeks at a minimum.” 

Cloud wasn’t a very outspoken person. Unlike Prompto who tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, Cloud tended to keep things inside. But at that moment, it was as if Prompto had reached all the way from Gaia to Eos and possessed him because he  _ exploded _ . 

“Are you  _ kidding _ me?!” He stood up abruptly. “Seriously, what the hell?! This is why you’ve been acting so off lately?! Because you’ve been getting ready to just up and leave me?!” 

Cor stood up. “Prompto, you know it’s not like that-” 

“You promised, Dad! You promised him that you wouldn’t do this!” Cloud went on; he had no idea how he was keeping up his fake voice but he didn’t care. He didn’t even care that he had slipped up. “Did that mean nothing to you?! What about us?! What about me?!” 

“Prompto, please, calm down!” Cor tried, their voices echoing in the halls. 

“I just got you back! I finally get to be with my dad and you go and do this?!” Cloud yelled. “You can’t just-just  _ drop  _ that on me all calm as if you can’t get hurt! As if…!” As if there’s no chance that you could not come back; as if there’s no chance that you could  _ die! _

“Dad, you  _ can’t _ leave! It will ruin everything!” Cloud could feel his throat tightening; if he spoke again he wouldn’t be able to disguise his voice, he was too upset! With no other option, Cloud turned and ran down the hallway, ignoring Cor’s calls after him. 

Cloud ran to the park and came to a stop at the fountain, leaning on his knees and catching his breath. He tried to calm himself and clear his head, but Cor’s statement was still echoing in his ears. He wanted to leave...do long-term missions again...put his life on the line, and right when they were so close…! Missions were dangerous...Cor could get hurt...just because he was the ‘Immortal’ didn’t mean that he couldn’t…! 

Prompto...he had to tell Prompto; they had to move to phase 2 of their plan early. He fished his phone out of his pocket and hid behind a tree, making sure he was well out of earshot of anyone before dialing Prompto. “Pick up, pick up, pick up…” Cloud muttered.

* * *

Prompto was at the bar hanging out with AVALANCHE when things started to feel off. “So Cloud,” Tifa was saying as she dried a glass. “Is everything okay?” 

Prompto blinked at the sudden question. “Everything’s fine, Tifa; why?” 

“Well…” Aerith seemed troubled. “You just seem...different, that’s all.” 

Prompto willed his heart to keep from panicking. “Different how?” He asked, desperately channeling Cloud’s ability to keep a straight face in the face of trouble. Thankfully, his phone buzzed as Aerith and Tifa took turns explaining. Prompto subtly took out his phone and glanced at the screen which had a text. ‘SOS’ He instantly registered the code word, making him get up suddenly. 

“Something wrong, Cloud?” Reeve asked just as the phone began to ring, the name ‘Other Half’ showing up on the screen. 

“Uh no, I just...I gotta take this,” Prompto said quickly, hurrying for the door. Tifa started to say something, but Prompto was already out the door. He sprinted away from the bar until he rounded the corner of the weapons shop where he finally picked up. “Cloud?”

“Prompto, thank the gods,” Cloud breathed. “It’s bad, you need to bring Mom out here now!” 

“What, why?” Prompto asked. “It’s only been a week, what-” 

“Dad’s leaving!” 

Prompto frowned, “Leaving? What do you mean leaving?” 

“I mean leaving, as in he’s leaving Insomnia!” Cloud exclaimed. “He told me he wants to start going on long-term missions again!” 

“But...but…” Prompto stuttered as fear clenched his heart. “But Dad promised he wouldn’t do those any-” 

“Yeah, well, he changed his mind! And his next assignment is in two weeks!” Cloud said. “You need to get Mom down here now! We’re out of time!” 

Prompto nodded quickly, his brain working fast, “Okay okay, um, I’m having dinner with Mom and the team tonight so...I’ll drop the bomb in the morning,” He said. 

“Okay,” Cloud said. “Just hurry, Prom!” 

“I will!” Prompto hung up and started walking while he pocketed his phone. Everything they worked for was about to go down the drain! Maybe he should just skip the dinner and tell mom the truth now… 

Prompto turned the corner only to slam into something solid. “Ow, shit! Sorry about…” Prompto trailed off as he had crashed right into Barret of all people, and the gunman was glaring down at him in a way that made Prompto feel like a mouse. 

“Hey there,  _ Cloud _ ,” Barret said dangerously, gripping his shoulder tightly, keeping him from running. “Everything okay?” 

Tifa, Reeve with Cait on his shoulder, and Vincent appeared by his side as well, and Yuffie, Cid, Aerith, and Red appeared behind Prompto, effectively surrounding him and all glaring at him. They had heard everything. He was so screwed. 

“I knew something didn’t smell right with you,” Red growled, baring his fangs. Prompto shivered as everyone had a hand on their weapon, ready to whip them out if necessary

“You wanna tell us what’s going on?” Tifa asked sharply. “Starting with who you are?” 

Prompto gulped, “It’s...a long story,” He managed to squeak out, not bothering to disguise his voice. 

“Then you shall tell us,” Vincent said dangerously. “The day is still quite young.” Cid yanked the Buster Sword off his back and his phone and the Materia in his armband was swiped by Yuffie before he was roughly shoved along by Barret, his gun-arm pressed to his back. The whole group formed a dangerous wall around him as they walked towards Seventh Heaven, their eyes sharp and targeted on him. 

Prompto grimaced; guess it was time to spill the beans and hope he didn’t get killed by a bunch of mercenaries.

* * *

Cloud walked through the park, hands in his pockets. After calling Prompto he decided to clear his head before going home to confront Dad. As much as he hated it, he was gonna have to grin and bear it until Prompto got here. The final stretch of their plan was already coming to pass; it felt like they had switched places only yesterday. 

Cloud had hoped he would get to spend a bit more time with Dad in case it went completely south but their luck had finally run out. And Prompto...he hoped his friends had been treating him well. Hopefully, they wouldn’t kill him when he told them the truth. 

“...Cloud?” Cloud stopped and turned to see Ignis, standing nearby. “So it’s true…” Ignis said softly. “You’re really Cloud…” 

“I am,” Cloud nodded, not bothering to put up any facade. 

Ignis walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulder, “By the Six…” He whispered, shaking his head, looking him over. “I never thought I’d see you again...and all grown up as well.”

“So...you knew too?” Cloud asked. 

Ignis nodded sadly, “Vaguely; the last time I saw you was when you were a baby; I was likely only four or five at the time.” He said. “What I do remember is watching over you, Prompto, and Noct. Then the next thing I knew, Miss Claudia had left and had taken you with her.” Ignis then took a step back. “With that said though...I am extremely curious as to why you’re here instead of the real Prompto.” 

Cloud sighed, “I guess now’s as good a time as any…you’re not gonna have me arrested, are you?” 

“If you had wanted to cause trouble or harm his Highness, you would have done so already,” Ignis said. “And I have faith that Miss Claudia didn’t raise a scoundrel.” 

Cloud seemed to slump a bit, “That’s a relief.” 

Ignis smiled and put his arm around him, “Come; I’ll make some tea at my apartment while we talk.” 

“That sounds good…” 

“And I’ll call Noct and Gladio over as well,” Ignis said, making Cloud look at him in surprise. “Prompto is their friend too, they have a right to know.” 

Cloud hesitated before nodding, “Yeah, that’s fair,” He said. “Just...don't tell my Dad.” 

“...I would ask why, but I have a feeling that’s part of the awaiting explanation,” Ignis said. 

“Thanks...” Cloud said softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep! No marriage shenanigans here cause Cor doesn't have a lot of shipping options :/ I got the idea from the fic 'The Lost Oracle' which involves a small thread where Cor starts going out on missions again only to go MIA (I hope that story keeps going, it's REALLY good X3)
> 
> And you thought Cloud getting caught was going to be the disaster. Maaaaybe Cloud should've mentioned to Prompto that his squad is kinda sorta REALLY overprotective...can't really blame 'em, AVALANCHE kinda has a...shaky history with spies XS


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truths come out, new friends are made, and the plan is ready to be put back on track.

It felt like an eternity to Cloud as he waited in Ignis’ apartment for Noctis and Gladio to show up, leaning against the wall and gazing out the window. He didn’t want to say he was scared, because honestly, it felt nice to not have to pretend anymore, but he was on edge. 

Even though he had been pretending to be someone else the entire time, Cloud had enjoyed his time with Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis. What if this whole thing went sideways? Sure, Ignis had reacted well, but that wasn’t to say Gladio and Noctis would feel the same. Not to mention the fact that he had been lying to the Crown Prince himself; there had to be repercussions for that, even if Ignis hadn’t said anything. 

Finally, there was a knock at the door, and Ignis allowed Gladio and Noctis inside. “Thank you for coming at such short notice,” Ignis said. 

“What’s going on Specs?” Noctis asked before noticing Cloud, “Prom’s here too? What’s this about?” Cloud pressed his lips into a thin line and looked away from Noctis. 

“This gathering is about Prompto, as a matter of fact,” Ignis said. 

“Is something wrong?” Gladio asked, face hardening with concern. 

Noctis on the other hand, looked worried, “Is everything okay, Prompto?” He asked. Cloud bit his lip and didn’t respond; time to spill the beans. “Prom?” Noctis repeated. 

Cloud looked at Ignis, who nodded at him, and he took a deep breath; just rip the bandage off. “...I’m not Prompto.” Cloud said, not disguising his voice. 

Noctis frowned, “Wh-” It clearly took the prince a few seconds to really register what he just said and connect it to Cloud’s voice. 

Gladio’s eyes were already narrowing dangerously, but thankfully, Ignis noticed. “Gladio, it’s alright,” He said. “It’s Cloud.” 

That name alone made recognition flash in Gladio’s eyes, “Wait...wait, hold on, you mean... _ that _ Cloud?!” 

“The very same,” Ignis nodded. “I had a feeling you would remember.” 

“How could I forget?” Gladio remarked, a disbelieving smile coming to his face as he moved towards Cloud. He looked him over and gripped his shoulders, “Damn, look at you; I always knew you’d turn out being the tougher twin.” Cloud couldn’t help but snort at that. 

“Uh, hello?” Noctis piped up, “Could someone tell what the hell’s going on?” 

“Noctis, you don’t remember this because you were so young, but...Prompto isn’t an only child,” Ignis said. 

“What the fuck does that even mean?!” Noctis demanded. “Who is this guy and where’s Prompto?!” 

“I’m Cloud,” Cloud answered simply. “And Prompto’s my twin brother.” 

Noctis’ face was a mixture of frustration and confusion, the latter half amplified when he looked to Ignis and Gladio who nodded in confirmation. “How...how is that even possible?!” Noctis exclaimed. “Prompto would’ve mentioned that he had a twin, he tells me everything!” 

“Because he didn’t know,” Cloud responded. “I didn’t know either.” 

“Can’t blame ya,” Gladio said. “I don’t remember much, but from what my Dad told me, it was a real mess.” 

“Stop talking like you know something I don’t!” Noctis snapped. 

“Noctis, you were only a baby, barely a year old,” Ignis started to explain. “Back then the three of you, Prompto, Cloud, and yourself, were almost always together, and Gladio and I would watch over you while the Marshal and his Majesty went about their business. Unfortunately, by then the Marshal and his wife, Miss Claudia were having...difficulties with their marriage.” 

“Long story short, they ended up divorcing, and they each took a twin,” Gladio took over. “Cloud went with their mom and Prompto stayed here with their dad, and since Iggy and I were just stupid kids we were told to keep quiet and not worry about it.” 

“We both grew up not knowing about each other,” Cloud said. “Until we met up at camp and put the pieces together.” 

Noctis’ frown seemed to be fading a bit, “So...ever since that camp ended…” Cloud nodded, avoiding Noctis’ eyes again.

“I believe now is a good time to explain why you attempted to pull off this scheme of yours,” Ignis said. 

Gladio blinked, “Holy shit, yeah; we spent over a week thinking Cloud was Prompto,” He said. “But why?” 

Noctis’ eyes were hard, almost burning into Cloud. The mercenary shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. “When Prompto and I found out we were twins, we had a lot of questions,” He started. “But...more than anything, Prompto wanted to meet our mom, and...I wanted to meet our Dad. So...we decided to switch places.” The three stayed silent. “We taught each other about our lives...and taught each other how to fight like the other.” 

Gladio slowly nodded, “That explains the greatsword.” 

“As well as the odd behavior,” Ignis agreed. “An admirable effort at impersonating Prompto though.” 

“We had less than two months,” Cloud grumbled. Noctis still didn’t look happy, so Cloud stepped a little closer, “I’m sorry I tricked you, Noct,” He said. Noctis sighed and looked at the ground. 

“Noctis?” Ignis asked. “Are you alright?” 

Noctis huffed and breathed out a laugh, “Honestly...I’m kinda relieved.” 

Cloud blinked, “Huh?” 

“I thought something felt...off about you, but I didn’t know what,” Noctis said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I was afraid I did something wrong or something had changed with Prompto...but it was just you the whole time.” 

“Yeah…” Cloud said, a smile pulling at his face. “But Noct, I want you to know, I really did have fun hanging out with you, and Ignis and Gladio. None of that was fake.” 

“Well good,” Noctis crossed his arms with a smirk. “Cause now I think I’d like to know Cloud, instead of Cloud-as-Prompto.” 

Noctis held out his fist, and Cloud barely kept himself from beaming as he punched it. “That sounds like a plan.” 

“Wait, so where's the actual Prompto again?” Gladio asked. 

“He’s in Nibelheim,” Cloud answered. 

“I had no idea Miss Claudia moved that far,” Ignis commented, his eyes wide. 

“Yeah, but he should be back soon,” Cloud said. “We have to start Phase 2 of our plan.” 

“Phase 2?” Noctis asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“Now I’m curious,” Gladio said. 

“Yes, please Cloud, explain this Phase 2.” Ignis agreed. Cloud nodded as they all went to sit in the living area; crisis averted. Now he just had to hope everything was going smoothly on Prompto’s end.

* * *

Prompto didn’t expect himself to be as calm as he was. Sure, he was kinda scared that he was currently tied to a chair in the middle of their hideout under the bar, surrounded by a group of mercenaries who were glaring him down like a bunch of Coerls surrounding their prey, but he didn’t feel downright terrified. 

Were the situation different, he probably would’ve passed out from stress. But he knew these people by now, and he had nothing to hide with Cloud just a phone call away if he needed confirmation. But now he just had to make sure things didn’t get out of hand… 

Barret, Tifa, and Aerith were situated in front of him, Red was on his left, Reeve and Cait Sith on his right, leaving Cid, Yuffie, and Vincent behind him, likely to watch if he tried anything. Not like he had anything to try in the first place…

“Start talking, ya bastard,” Cid growled. 

“You really didn’t have to tie me up,” Prompto whined. 

“You’re in no position to be complaining,” Red growled. 

“Start talking,” Aerith demanded. “Who are you?” 

“My name’s Prompto,” He answered easily. “I’m from Insomnia.” 

“All the way from Eos…” Reeve muttered. 

“What’s a city-boy like you doing all the way down here?” Barret demanded. 

“You here to steal our Materia?!” Yuffie accused. 

“No, he must be a spy!” Cait chimed in. 

“N-No! Neither of those!” Prompto exclaimed. “I’m not dangerous, I swear!” 

“Then where’s Cloud?!” Tifa demanded. “What have you done with him?!” 

“You must know him pretty well to pull off this imposter act,” Barret growled. “I hate to say it, but you really had us fooled.” 

“If we discover that you’ve harmed Cloud…” Vincent said dangerously. 

“Then things are gonna get messy, real fast,” Cid finished, just as pissed. 

“Whoa whoa, you got it all wrong!” Prompto exclaimed. “I’m not a spy or a thief, and Cloud is fine, I’d never hurt him!” 

“And why is that?” Reeve asked. 

“Because…” Prompto paused to take a breath; finally telling someone about this felt overwhelming. “Because we’re twins...Cloud’s my brother.” There was a good ten seconds of silence before it was broken. 

“Whaaaaaat?” Yuffie exclaimed. 

“Sounds like bullshit to me,” Barret growled. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t Cloud have mentioned a brother, let alone a twin?” Cid agreed. 

“Because we didn’t know the other existed,” Prompto answered. He then proceeded to tell them about their whole camp experience and The Switch. Once he was done, everyone still looked a bit skeptical. 

“Well that certainly explains a few things,” Cid admitted. “Do you have any concrete proof that you are, in fact, Cloud’s brother?” Vincent asked, suspicion still in his gaze. 

Prompto shrunk a bit, “Um, not physically on me, but-” 

“How do we know this isn’t some elaborate set-up?” Barret growled. 

“It’s not!” Prompto protested. “Trust me, neither of us is smart enough for that!” 

Barret snorted, “That’s true- hey! Don’t change the subject!”

“If Mrs. Strife actually has two sons, then surely someone here in town would’ve known about this,” Reeve pointed out. 

“Tifa?” Aerith asked, catching everyone’s attention. “Is something on your mind? You’ve been quiet the whole time.” 

Tifa had a hand on her chin, looking deep in thought, “No...there’s no way…” She then looked at Prompto. “Who’s your dad?” 

“Cor Leonis,” Prompto answered. 

“The famed ‘Immortal’ from Lucis?!” Reeve exclaimed. 

“Holy shit…” Tifa whispered. She stepped closer to Prompto and knelt in front of him, looking at him closely. “Holy shit…” She repeated. “You’re really Cloud’s brother…” 

“You knew about this?!” Barret demanded. 

“Wait to leave us hanging, Tifa!” Yuffie sniped. 

“I was only two, give me a break!” Tifa snapped. “But I remember my Dad talking about Mrs. Strife and mentioning two twin boys and the name Leonis...I always thought I was imagining things!” Tifa stood up straight and moved back again. “I think he’s telling the truth, you guys.” 

“Are you sure?” Reeve asked. 

“Well, I believe him,” Aerith stepped forward. “If he wanted to hurt us, he would’ve done it already.” She smiled at him. “And he may not be Cloud...but I can definitely see him and Mrs. Strife in Prompto, don’t you?” Prompto smiled back as her word seemed to quell any remaining unrest in the group. 

“He  _ is _ a lot like Mrs. Strife…” Yuffie admitted. 

“He has her vibrance,” Vincent agreed. 

“Also explains the gun thing,” Cid added. “Guess he gets it from her.” 

“And your scent,” Red remarked. “While it is very different from Cloud’s...it still has a familiar air to it, like his.” 

“I still don’t know about this whole ‘twin brother’ thing,” Barret admitted. “But I guess I’ll let you off the hook for now.” Prompto deflated in relief. 

“So what now?” Tifa asked. 

Prompto sighed, “Now...I tell my Mom the truth,” He said. “It wasn’t supposed to happen this soon, but after what Cloud told me, things have gotten...complicated.” 

“Complicated how?” Reeve asked. 

“Maybe we can help,” Aerith offered. 

“You guys wanna help me?” Prompto asked. 

“Well, if you are Cloud’s brother, then we owe it to him,” Tifa responded. 

“And we care about ya, especially now that we know that you’re not a spy or anything,” Cait Sith piped up. “Everyone here’s just too shy to say it.” 

“Shut up, cat!” Barret snapped. Reeve gave the robot cat a light smack. 

Prompto chuckled, “Thanks guys; I’ll fill you in on our whole plan then,” He said. “Just, uh, do me one favor.” 

“And that is?” Barret asked. 

“...Untie me?” 

Yuffie blinked, “Oh, pfft, right! I gotcha.” She laughed, picking up her shuriken. 

* * *

The next morning, Prompto sat outside the cottage. He had been avoiding his morning runs for the week since being here, but even now he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was too busy worrying about what to say to Mom...about how to tell her the truth. Honestly, the whole fiasco of setting the record straight with AVALANCHE was less stressful. 

He watched the sunrise, taking deep breaths in and out through his nose. He could do this, he could! He waited outside until he was sure Claudia was awake and starting breakfast. Prompto them ventured inside and stood awkwardly in the kitchen area. 

“Well, you’re up early,” Claudia said. 

“Yeah, uh, couldn’t sleep,” Prompto said, keeping his gaze on the floor. 

“So, what’s on your list today?” Claudia asked. “Any new missions come up?” 

“No, not today,” Prompto said slowly, not looking up. 

“Well, I’m sure you can find something to do,” Claudia said. “You’ve always been able to make each day exciting somehow.” Prompto smiled weakly and nodded before looking back at his feet. Claudia finally noticed and frowned, walking over to him, “Cloud?” She asked. “Is something on your mind?” 

“Mom, I...I have to leave,” Prompto said carefully. 

“Leave?” Claudia asked, her face growing worried. “And go where?” Prompto couldn’t do this, he couldn’t! He stormed past Claudia and sat in a chair, hunched over and his back to her. He buried his face in his hands as he faintly heard his mom calling his name. “Cloud, did you hear me?” Claudia called. “Cloud!” 

“That’s where I have to go, I have to go see Cloud!” Prompto finally blurted out, dropping his fake voice. 

Claudia frowned, “Honey are you sick, why do you sound so different?” She asked moving to stand behind him. “And what are you talking about, where else would Cloud be?” 

“In Insomnia, with his father, Cor Leonis…” Prompto said, his voice getting softer near the end. 

Claudia’s eyes first widened at the sound of the familiar name, then her brow furrowed as she slowly started to put the pieces together. Her heart beating, Claudia moved to the front of the chair and knelt in front of him where he glanced shyly up at her for a moment; something Cloud hadn’t done since he was a child. “You’re not Cloud…” She said dumbly. 

Prompto shook his head, “Nope…” 

Slowly, Claudia cupped his face and raised it so she could see his face clearly and recognition flashed in her eyes, “By the gods...you’re...you’re Prompto?” She whispered, her eyes glazing over with tears.

“...Yep,” Prompto nodded. Claudia pressed her hands over her mouth in shock. “Cloud and I met at camp and...we decided to switch places,” Prompto explained. “I didn’t want to trick you, it’s just...I’ve been wanting to meet you for as long as I can remember, and this past week has just been amazing and...I finally know what it’s like to have a mom…” 

“Oh, honey…” Claudia whispered. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Prompto said, his tears finally falling. “But I hope...you can love me as me, and not as Cloud.” 

Claudia pulled Prompto off the chair and into her arms, a few tears of her own falling. “Oh, Prompto…” She said softly. “I’ve loved you your whole life.” 

Prompto hugged her tightly, relief flooding his chest. After a good while, they broke the hug and Prompto wiped his eyes, “So...I guess now you gotta switch us back, huh?” 

Claudia smiled sadly, “Well...legally, you belong to your father, and Cloud belongs to me,” She said. 

“His and hers…” Prompto muttered. “Honestly Mom, this arrangement sucks.” 

Claudia huffed out a laugh, “It does…” She pulled Prompto close again and stroked his hair, “But don’t you worry, we’ll figure something out.” Prompto nodded and continued to soak up the embrace. He felt lighter than a feather. Now it was all downhill into phase 2 from here; he hoped Cloud was ready on his end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You fuck with one member of AVALANCHE, then the whole gang will come down on you; heh, kinda fits their name XD


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both groups are finally reunited, but not with a few bumps along the way

“Seriously, you guys don’t all have to come!” Prompto was saying as he brought his travel bag downstairs. The entirety of AVALANCHE was occupied in the living area, some carrying bags themselves. After Prompto told Claudia the truth, Prompto’s new friends appeared, wanting in on Phase 2, meaning they wanted to go with them to Insomnia.

Prompto had tried to talk them out of it many times already, but just like Cloud, AVALANCHE was stubborn. 

“Until we see Cloud, we ain’t letting you out of our sight,” Barret said. 

“Dude, I thought we were cool!” Prompto whined. 

“Can’t be too careful,” Barret grinned. 

“I think it’ll be exciting,” Aerith remarked. “I haven’t been to a city in forever!” 

“Did you finish your call with Cloud?” Tifa asked. 

“Yep,” Prompto said. “They’ve set up rooms for us at a hotel just outside the Citadel; so we just gotta fly over and check in.” 

“I see that look in your eyes, girl, don’t even think about it,” Cid snapped to Yuffie who had a scheming smile. 

“What? I’m just hyped for the trip that’s all!” Yuffie said innocently. “We’ve never really been to a fancy hotel before!” 

“If you steal anything and get caught, don’t expect us to come to your aid,” Vincent said softly. 

“You guys are no fun!” Yuffie whined. 

“The Crown City is the last place where we would want to cause trouble, Yuffie,” Red said. “You best remember that.” 

“That reminds me…” Prompto said, looking at Red. “The hotel kinda...has a pet policy; all dogs have to be on a leash or in a crate.” 

Red’s hackles rose, “I am not a pet!” 

“Yeah I know, but the hotel staff doesn’t know that,” Prompto said. “We’re gonna have to like...tie a string to your collar or something, at least until we get to our rooms.” 

“Looks like you gotta go undercover, Red,” Barret said. 

“Whew, I lucked out!” Cait Sith piped up from Reeve’s arms. “I can pass as a toy!” 

“I suppose we’ll have to leave Mog behind then, he’s too large,” Reeve added, making the cat deflate a bit in sadness. 

“We can talk about it more on the flight,” Tifa reassured. 

“Speaking of, where Mrs. Strife?” Aerith asked. “She’s been upstairs for a while, don’t we have to go soon?” 

“I’ll be right down!” Claudia called from her room. 

“Uh, you okay up there, Mom?” Prompto called. 

“Oh, I’m just fine, sweetie!” Claudia responded.

* * *

Claudia was not fine. She was _anything_ but fine! She paced around her room, her half-empty travel bag taunting her on the bed. 

“This is ridiculous…c’mon Claudia, pull yourself together,” She muttered to herself. “You’re just going to switch the boys back, just because you’ve never spoken in fifteen years and are now flying halfway across the world to see him again even though you planned on never seeing him again doesn’t mean you can’t get this one thing done…!” She managed to pack her bag a bit more when her mind started to wander. Was Cor doing well for himself? Was he staying out of trouble? Was he eating well? Was he- 

Claudia slapped her cheeks, “Stop, no, none of that!” She hissed. “You’re not married anymore, you don’t have to worry about that!” Besides, Prompto said that Cor was fine, so that should be enough for her. Gods, why was this so hard?! If the man didn’t make her so nuts she’d still be married to him! 

Claudia took a deep breath and forced herself to finish packing. Everything was going to be fine. It wasn’t like Cor was seeing someone else or doing anything that would make her jealous (like she even _would_ be jealous). It was just going to be a slightly awkward, but informal visit to Insomnia. They were just going to meet up in Insomnia, switch the boys back, and that would be the end of it. She could do this…

* * *

“Finally!” Yuffie exclaimed as Claudia came down the stairs with her things. 

“All ready, Mom?” Prompto asked. 

“As I’ll ever be, I suppose,” Claudia said, her voice hiding a strain. 

“We should head out now if we wanna catch our train,” Reeve said. 

“Sounds good,” Tifa nodded. 

Prompto looked down as his phone buzzed with a text from Cloud. _‘Everything’s official over here. ETA?’_

 _‘Just about to leave the house’_ Prompto texted back. _‘I’ll text you when we take off’._

“Was that your father you were just texting?” Claudia asked. 

“Uh...yeah,” Prompto lied. “Everything’s all set up; he said he’s very anxious to see you again.” 

Claudia smiled uneasily, “Uh, anxious good, or anxious bad?” 

“Anxious good,” Prompto resolved. 

Claudia nodded and went back to her things, “Good...good…” 

Yuffie leaned in close, “Liar liar pants of fire,” She whispered, making Prompto shush her. 

“Alright...let’s do this,” Claudia breathed.

* * *

The train ride and airship flight all couldn’t last long enough. Prompto was on the edge of his seat, both with excitement and nervousness. Would this plan actually work? Prompto took a breath to calm himself; one thing at a time. They’d meet up with Cloud and go from there. 

Once they landed, everyone filed off the airship and Prompto stretched. “Ah, so nice to breathe in that city air!” 

“This is so cool!” Yuffie gushed. “We get to hang around, chill, and not even have to hunt anything! We’re moving up in the world!” 

“Oh my goodness!” Prompto turned around and his smile faded as Claudia stumbled down the ramp, barely hanging onto the railing. “It’s been so long! Was this place always this bright?” 

“Mom…?” Prompto asked cautiously. As he got closer, he realized her eyes seemed a bit glazed over. Her steps were a bit shaky and she seemed a bit off, somewhat teetering with her balance. Prompto put the pieces together and turned to the others. “Is...Is she…?” 

“There was free wine on the airship…” Aerith said with a grimace. 

“I’ve never had wine before!” Claudia exclaimed. 

“Could’ve fooled me…” Reeve muttered as he kept her from tripping.

“She was reeeeeal thirsty!” Cait Sith chirped, earning a small smack from Reeve. 

“How much did she have?!” Prompto squawked. 

“A lightweight like her? Enough,” Cid sighed, shaking his head. “Be glad she can still walk in a decently straight line.” 

“Let’s hurry and get to the hotel,” Tifa said quickly. “I’m sure once she lies down everything will be fine.” 

“Alright then, Red, let’s get your disguise ready,” Barret said. He knelt down and tied a length of rope to Red’s collar, acting as a leash. 

“I still don’t see why this is necessary…” Red growled. “It’s humiliating.” 

“I’m sorry buddy, but we don't really have a choice here,” Prompto said. “This place is practically next door to the citadel, I don’t think security will take ‘a talking carnivorous lab experiment’ very well; the flaming tail is already pushing it.” 

“It’s better we don’t draw attention to ourselves unless necessary,” Vincent agreed. 

“So remember, cut back on the chatter, Red,” Cid added. Red snarled under his breath. Prompto sighed; hopefully, nothing else would go wrong.

* * *

“They should be arriving any moment now,” Ignis said, checking the time as he, Gladio, Noctis, and Cloud walked towards the hotel. Cloud glanced behind him and frowned; Pryna had been following them the entire time, jumping into Ignis’ car when he arrived to pick him up. And now the dog was on a mission. 

“She must wanna see Prompto too,” Noctis suggested. Cloud had to admit, this dog was really starting to test his paranoia with how smart she was. They arrived at the hotel just as Cloud received a text saying they had just gotten out of the car they had hired. 

“They’re here,” Cloud said. Immediately, Pryna’s ears perked up and she took off towards the large revolving doors. 

Noctis nearly stumbled as the dog suddenly bolted between his legs. “Whoa, Pryna!” 

“Stop her!” Ignis hissed. Cloud scooped up Pryna before she could bolt into the building and the dog immediately began to fuss silently. 

“C’mon Pryna, even you can’t get around the pet policy here,” Noctis said. Pryna seemed to give the Prince a look before continuing her struggles. 

"Keep holding her, it shouldn't attract much attention as long as she's not loose," Ignis instructed.

“Let’s hurry and meet up with them,” Gladio said, ushering them all inside.

* * *

As Prompto’s group arrived at the hotel from the opposite end, Claudia seemed to be faring a bit better. She was still much more perky than normal. They decided to check in in groups since it was a bit awkward for such a large rag-tag group to be in a small place like this. 

Vincent, Yuffie, Cid, and Reeve carrying Cait went in first, and then Claudia, Prompto, Tifa, Barret, and Red followed. Red’s presence caused quite a few people to stare, but no one seemed to speak out about it, and they checked in no problem. 

Unfortunately, Red’s nose seemed to have other plans as he began tugging his leash. “This scent…it’s close…!” He began to pull ahead harder. 

“Red, chill out,” Barret growled under his breath. 

They hurried into the elevator, but Claudia stopped the door before it closed, “Forgot one of my bags, silly me!” She stepped back out and hurried back towards the front desk while Red seemed to perk up, his ears high and alert with excitement.

* * *

“Pryna would you calm down?!” Cloud exclaimed. The dog continued to whine and squirm in his grasp. 

“I’ve never seen her this worked up,” Gladio commented. 

“Pryna, it’s okay!” Noctis tried to soothe her. “We’re gonna see Prompto soon, just be patient!” They got to the middle of the lobby, trying to silence the dog’s barks and- 

“Pryna?” 

Pryna barked and Cloud and the others looked up to see a spiky head in the elevator just ahead of them. The group in the elevator looked at them like deer in the headlights, both parties registering what they were seeing. 

“Prompto?!” Noctis exclaimed. 

“Cloud!” Tifa exclaimed. 

Pryna twisted out of Cloud’s arms just as Red took off like a rocket before Barret could get a firm grip on his leash. 

Cloud’s eyes widened as the large creature bounded over everything, even leaping over a luggage carrier, making a beeline right for him. “Whoa whoa whoa, Red? Red! Red, Red no-” 

Ignis, Gladio, and Noct, jumped back as the large creature pounced on Cloud, while Pryna went speeding towards Prompto, ducking and dodging multiple pairs of legs to get there. 

“Pryna!” Prompto exclaimed happily, kneeling down and receiving the dog just as the elevator closed with him, Barret, and Tifa. 

“What...just happened?” Noctis asked dumbly. 

“We just switched dogs,” Gladio said, before looking down to Cloud who was getting his face licked by Red. 

“Red!” Cloud spluttered under the large creature as his face was getting drenched in dog drool. “R-Red! Down! Get off!” Noctis took initiative and grabbed the leash, pulling Red back and off Cloud. Cloud sat up and wiped his face as the dog suddenly calmed himself and sat. 

“Um, my apologies,” Red said, clearing his throat. “It seems my...instincts overwhelmed me; it’s good to see you again, Cloud.” 

“Yeah, you too,” Cloud said, a smile pulling at his face. 

“Did that dog just-” Ignis looked dumbfounded. 

“What are you doing on the floor, honey?” 

Cloud blinked and looked up to see a familiar blonde woman, “Mom!” He jumped to his feet.

“Aw you didn’t have to miss the elevator for me, I would’ve found the room myself,” Claudia said sweetly, not even noticing the three others with him and that it wasn’t the same boy she had come in with. 

Cloud barely hid a face as he smelled alcohol on her breath. “M-Mom, you-”

“Well no matter, I need to get some fresh air anyway,” Claudia said, patting his cheek and giving him her keycard to the room. “Go on up and I’ll meet you there.” Noctis and Gladio exchanged a glance and Cloud stared dumbfounded as she walked away. She turned back to him for a moment, “I like that vest, by the way, were you always wearing that?” She asked, walking backward and right towards someone carrying a stack of luggage. 

“Mom, watch out!” Cloud exclaimed, facepalming as she barely avoided colliding with the poor employee. She laughed out an apology and went on her way. “Well, figures,” Cloud shook his head, “She barely has one shot when I take her to Seventh Heaven and she chooses _today_ to get hammered.” 

“Well, may as well do what she says and meet her upstairs,” Ignis said, guiding them towards the elevator, Red following as Noctis still held his leash. 

“So uh…” Noctis looked at Red when they boarded the elevator. 

“I am known as Red XIII, a pleasure to meet you,” Red said. 

“This day is just gonna get weirder, isn’t it…?” Gladio muttered.

As the elevator doors closed, Claudia was walking around outside just as Cor was heading into the Citadel with Clarus. The gates started to close and Cor felt his heart stop as he laid eyes on a woman who definitely should not be here. Claudia saw him and gave him a little wave but Cor’s bewildered expression remained until the gate cut off his view of her seconds later. 

“Cor?” Clarus asked. “You alright?”

“I thought I just saw…” Cor began. Did he just imagine that? ...Yes, he had to have...there was no way... “I-It’s nothing.”

* * *

With Cladia’s keycard in hand, Cloud’s small group made it to one of the rooms housing half of AVALANCHE, knocking before opening the door. Prompto was on the couch, holding a very pleased Pryna while the others hung around in different parts of the room. 

“Prompto!” Noctis said, lighting up. 

“Noct!” Prompto beamed and got up from the couch, putting Pryna down, and jogging over into a hug from his best friend that Gladio and Ignis joined. “Been a long time, huh?” 

“Sure has,” Gladio said. 

“Do try to refrain from pulling this kind of stunt in the future,” Ignis said. 

“Missed you too, Iggy,” Prompto smiled. Prompto looked behind him to see Cloud surrounded by his group. 

“It’s the real Cloud!” Yuffie said happily, hanging onto Cloud’s back while Cait Sith perched on his shoulder, happily nuzzling his cheek. 

“Damn kid, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Cid said, ruffling his hair. 

Tifa and Aerith pulled him into a small hug and Barret clapped him on the shoulder Cait didn’t occupy. “Good to see ya again,” He said. 

“Same here,” Cloud said, prying Yuffie off him. “I hope I didn’t make you do something stupid.” 

“It’s not our fault that we’ve gotten used to assuming the worst,” Tifa defended. 

Once Cloud and Prompto were released, they turned to each other and grasped each other’s hands, “Phase 1, complete,” Prompto said. 

“Somehow,” Cloud agreed. 

“Holy shit, there really are two of ‘em…” Cid muttered. 

“Indeed, the resemblance is uncanny,” Vincent commented. 

“I still can’t believe we never knew,” Yuffie said looking between the two. “How do you two look so alike?” 

“That’s how twins work, Yuffie,” Reeve remarked. Before anyone else could get a word in… 

“Prompto Leonis!” Claudia’s angry voice rang through the hallway, making everyone freeze. Cloud opened the door with Prompto and they walked out and faced her, side by side. Claudia blinked and glanced between the two of them. “Oh gods, don’t do this to me now, I’m already seeing double,” She muttered. 

“Mom, it’s me, Cloud,” Cloud said. 

Claudia looked at him and softened, realizing she hadn’t seen the real Cloud in ages. “Cloud…” Cloud went over and hugged her and Prompto wasn’t far behind, joining the hug. “Oh, my boys…” Claudia broke the hug and looked at the two of them, “I never thought I’d get to see you two together…” Her expression suddenly changed. “But how could you do this to me?!” 

“What do you mean?” Cloud asked. 

before Claudia could answer, Aerith poked her head out, “Psst, guys; maybe we should continue this inside?” She suggested. 

“Yeah, c’mon Mom,” Prompto and Cloud pulled her into the room, Aerith shutting the door behind them. Claudia took in the occupants of the room, and her eyes fell on Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio. 

“Ah, hello Mrs. Strife,” Ignis began, walking towards her with his hand politely outstretched. “You probably don’t remember us-” 

“Ignis?” Claudia gasped. “And Gladio? Is that you?” Claudia’s bewilderment turned to joy as she walked towards them, looking them over and touching their shoulders. “Look at you, you’re both so grown up!” She exclaimed. “The last time I saw you, both of you barely passed my knee!” 

“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Strife,” Gladio said, smiling brightly along with Ignis. 

Claudia smiled and her eyes fell on the Prince, “No...that’s not Noctis, is it?” She asked, gaping slightly. “That tall, gangly thing?” 

The Prince glanced at the floor, suddenly feeling shy, “Uh…hi?” 

Claudia gently took his face in her hands, looking him over, “You were in diapers the last time I saw you, and now…!” Noctis blushed a little. “You’ve grown into a fine young man; your eyes are just like your mother’s.” 

Noctis perked up a bit, “You knew my mom, too?” 

Claudia smiled sadly, “Only for a short time, I’m afraid,” She said. “But long enough that I can tell you about her later, if you’d like.” 

Something warm seemed to spark in Noctis’ eyes, “Yeah...yeah, I would,” He said softly. 

Claudia smiled and nodded before her kind expression turned stormy in an instant, “As for you two!” She turned on Cloud and Prompto, who straightened under her angry glare. “I was told by one of you that your father was expecting this visit,” Claudia said firmly, walking towards the twins. “Well, if what I saw was accurate, then the man I saw outside had no idea we were on the same _planet_ , let alone the same city!” 

“You saw Dad already?!” Prompto exclaimed. 

Claudia let out a bitter laugh, “Oh yes I did!” She exclaimed. “And he looked at me like I was a ghost while I waved like an idiot!” Claudia let out an exasperated groan and held her head before sitting on the couch. “Could one of you get me something cold for my head?” Ignis quickly dampened a washcloth with cold water and gave it to Claudia, who nodded her thanks. “Now, I want an explanation from both of you why you brought me all the way out here without telling your father!” She exclaimed as she pressed the cool cloth to her head. 

“Uh, maybe we should give you guys some space,” Tifa said. 

“Y-Yeah!” Noctis piped up. “This is a family thing so we’ll just…” Everyone hurriedly agreed and started to shuffle towards the door. 

“Wait!” Claudia’s sharp voice made everyone freeze and she sighed, “Does everyone here know something I don’t?” 

Everyone turned to her and seemed to deflate sheepishly, muttering similar responses. 

“Yeah…” 

“Technically yes…” 

“Pretty much…” 

“We kinda knew…” 

Cloud sighed and faced Claudia, “Mom...Dad wants to leave Insomnia,” He said slowly. 

The anger on Claudia’s face suddenly melted into confusion and concern. “That doesn’t make any sense, he’d never leave this place…” 

“He wants to go on long-term missions again,” Prompto said softly. “He’s due to leave in two weeks.” Claudia sat back down in shock. 

“And we figured that the only way to talk him out of it was...if he saw you again,” Cloud finished. 

Claudia frowned in confusion before realization slapped her right in the face, “Wait...you’re not...trying to set me up with your father, are you?” Prompto shrunk in on himself and Cloud’s eyes avoided hers. “Oh by the gods…” Claudia muttered, rubbing her temples. 

“Mom, you’re perfect for each other!” Prompto protested. “You were so happy when you told me about how you met!” 

“And it was just a bad situation that made you guys divorce,” Cloud added. “If you guys met and talked, then maybe…” 

Claudia took a deep breath, “Okay…” She stood up. “Let me make one thing very clear; Cor Leonis and I have absolutely nothing in common...anymore.” She said sharply. “It’s not my place to just crash back into his life again, especially out of nowhere and unannounced like this.” Cloud and Prompto shrunk a bit in defeat. “Now, you two are going to go to your father and explain to him that I am here for one reason, and one reason only; to switch the two of you back. Understand?” 

“Yes, mom,” The twins murmured. 

“I can’t believe we just watched Cloud get chewed out,” Yuffie snickered. 

Tifa nudged her sharply, “Not the time…” However, everyone seemed to miss the subtle movement of both boys crossing their fingers behind their backs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: LOL why is so cute to write Claudia mom-ing everyone?  
> Brain: Because almost all these characters' moms canonically are DEAD  
> Me: Oh...I'm sad now...
> 
> On the other hand, I love the shenanigans that happen in the 60s version of Parent Trap, but the hotel scene from the Lohan version is just *chef's kiss* classic. Also, would Red pounce on someone out of pure excitement like a big dog? Probably not. Did I want Cloud to get pounced on by something so I didn't care? Yes. Very much so :3


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor and Claudia finally meet face to face. Words are exchanged, but is it enough to make a change?

Cor usually didn’t take many breaks during work hours. There was really nothing for him to do outside the Citadel, and work could pile up easily. But today he made an exception, because he thought he just saw his ex-wife enter a hotel! Now Cor was briskly exiting the Citadel gates and heading towards the nearby hotel. There was no way that was actually her, right? They hadn’t spoken in years, why would she be here now of all times- 

“Hey Dad,” Prompto appeared, walking the opposite direction as him. 

“Uh, hey kiddo, what are you doing here?” Cor asked, slowing to a stop. 

“Just, uh, taking a walk,” Prompto shrugged. “What are  _ you  _ doing here?” 

“Oh, um, nothing, just...checking on something,” Cor said. “I’ll tell you later.” 

“Okay,” Prompto drawled as Cor hurried on his way. Cor entered the hotel lobby and began looking around. The place wasn’t dreadfully crowded, but it was enough to make Cor scan frantically for any sign of her. 

Cor wandered further into the lobby; there were many blonde heads, but none of them were her. Cor briefly considered going up to the front desk and asking but he was technically still on duty. Maybe he was just seeing things- 

“Dad!” 

Cor jumped as Prompto appeared right in front of him, a huge smile on his face. “Wait, didn’t I just see you…?” He trailed off, pointing to the door. 

“See me?” Prompto asked. 

“Uh...nothing I...must be seeing things,” Cor said. “A lot of things…” 

“Uh, okay,” Prompto said before throwing his arms around him. “It’s good to see you, Dad!” 

Cor blinked but hugged him back regardless, “Um, good to see you too…?” Prompto pulled away and Cor couldn’t help but feel like something was...off. “Were you always wearing that?” He could’ve sworn Prompto had been wearing something else outside- 

“Well, I gotta go Dad,” Prompto suddenly said. 

“Wha-wait a minute!” Cor exclaimed, but the boy was already hurrying out the door. Cor gave one last look around the lobby before deciding to give chase after his son. Prompto had been acting weird since he told him about his plans to go on missions again. Maybe now was the time Cor got to the bottom of it.

* * *

By the afternoon, both Cloud and Prompto’s groups were lightly scattered throughout the Citadel’s public gardens. Aerith was in absolute heaven, gushing over the abundant plant life and naming flowers that she had previously only seen in books or by word of mouth. 

Noctis nudged Prompto, “Remind me to write to Luna about her; I feel like I’ve found her long lost sister.” 

Prompto snorted, “Tell me about it.” 

“So much green in one place...it’s so beautiful,” Tifa breathed. 

“Is there not much plant life in Nibelheim?” Ignis asked. 

“Nope,” Yuffie said bluntly. “It’s pretty barren out there; it’s called the boonies for a reason.” 

“Gaia, in general, has been getting squeezed dry of plant life,” Barret growled. “All because of those Shinra bastards in Midgar-” 

“Now now, remember Barret; no freedom fighting while we're on vacation,” Cait Sith warned cheerily. Barret grumbled under his breath but didn’t say anything more. 

“Let’s just say Gaia is more desert than it is forest now,” Reeve remarked. 

“Hey Gladio, looks like your namesake is in full bloom today,” Noctis called, gesturing to a patch of gladiolus flowers. 

“Namesake?” Aerith asked before her eyes grew wide. “Wait...are you...?!” 

Gladio rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah, my full name is Gladiolus,” He glanced at the flowers. “My mom...kinda had a thing for flowers.” 

“Well your mom has wonderful taste,” Aerith said with a large smile. “It’s a beautiful name.” Gladio blushed lightly. 

“You think Dad caught on?” Cloud asked Prompto softly, glancing at Claudia who was currently admiring the fountain in the middle of the garden. 

“I don’t think so,” Prompto said. “It’ll be fine; one of us just has to hide if we see him.” 

“Uh, is that him?” Yuffie said, pointing to the entrance, where Cor had just walked in. 

“Shit! Hide!” Prompto hissed, shoving Cloud deeper into the gardens. Everyone else caught on and acted natural, while Cor walked towards the plaza. 

“Hey, Cor!” Noctis suddenly appeared in front of him, attempting to stall. “What are you doing here?” 

“Your Highness,” Cor nodded. “Have you seen Prompto?” 

“Uh...yeah, he’s...around,” Noctis lied smoothly. “Is something wrong?” 

Cor shook his head and walked past Noctis. “No, no, nothing’s...nothing’s...wrong…” Cor’s thought screeched to a dead halt as he laid eyes on the figure who was walking on the opposite side of the fountain. He wasn’t imagining things...it was really her. She was here. Her blonde hair was down and almost glistening in the light as she bent slightly to admire a shrub of azaleas. 

Cor’s feet began to move on their own, his vision blind to everything but her, his heart pounding. He mumbled apologies and excuses to anyone he may have bumped on the way and sucked in a breath as he suddenly stumbled on the curb of the path. “Marshal, are you alright?” He heard Ignis ask. 

Cor glanced at him, “I’m fine-” 

“Sir!” The Marshal turned and ran headlong into a Crownsguard on patrol. In his shuffle to move out of the way, Cor’s heels hit the edge of the fountain, making everyone gasp. 

“Cor, be careful!” Noctis exclaimed, but it was too late as Cor fell into the fountain with a splash. Everyone couldn’t help but flinch, hoping Cor didn’t hit his head. Luckily though, he was still moving. From their spot behind a hedge, Prompto grimaced while Cloud slapped his forehead.

Claudia couldn’t stop a small laugh that she covered with her hand as Cor flailed around a bit. Luckily, it didn’t take him long to find his feet again and he stood up, turning right to her. He stepped across the fountain towards her and climbed out, soaking wet. Claudia glanced between him and the ground, suddenly finding herself feeling shy as he approached her. 

Cor had a sheepish smile on his face as well, “Hello Claudia.” 

“Hello Cor,” Claudia said with a smile. She looked him up and down. “Goodness it’s...it’s been too long.” 

“It has,” Cor nodded, stepping forward and almost forgetting that he was currently soaking wet. They both stared and smiled at each other until Cor finally spoke. “Um...is there something going on that I should know about?” He asked, his confusion pouring out through his words. “Because I’m... _ stunned _ that you’re here but, uh...you don’t seem as stunned to see me; I-I haven’t seen or heard from you in...what, fifteen years and now all of a sudden-” 

“I think we can explain that…” Cor and Claudia turned to see Cloud and Prompto walking towards them, side by side. They both smiled sheepishly as they stood before them, “Surprise,” They said together, Prompto wringing his hands and Cloud shoving his hands in his pockets. 

Cor blinked as he realized what he was seeing. “Wh...That…” He looked at Claudia who nodded, her eyes shining with happiness. “...Both of them?” He finally managed to get out. “Both...together? But...how is this possible…?” 

“We met at camp,” Cloud said. 

“After that everything just kinda...spilled out,” Prompto said, gesturing vaguely. 

Claudia nodded, “They switched places on us, Cor,” She said. 

Cor looked at her, “What?” 

She walked over to Prompto and held his shoulders, “Prompto came to Nibelheim to be with me.” 

Cor walked over to Cloud and looked him over, “So then this...this is Cloud?” He asked, his voice thick with realization as he looked at Claudia for confirmation. “I’ve had Cloud with me all this time?” 

Cloud nodded, “Well I...I really wanted to meet you and Prompto wanted to meet Mom so we...you know…” 

“You’re Cloud…” Cor said softly, still in disbelief as he held Cloud’s shoulders. 

“You’re not...too mad, are you?” Cloud asked. 

Cor shook his head, “No, of course not, I just...I can’t believe it’s you…!” He pulled Cloud into a hug that Cloud accepted, despite Cor being soaked. “You were just a baby the last time I saw you…!” Cor pulled away, holding Cloud by the shoulders, “Six, look at you now…!” 

“All grown up, right?” Cloud asked. “But...without a Dad…” 

Cor’s expression softened, “Oh kiddo…” 

“And I’m without a Mom,” Prompto added, looking at Claudia. 

Claudia’s smile faded, “It seems...we have a lot to talk about, Cor,” 

“Yeah...you’re right,” Cor said. “But where do we even start?” 

“Boys, why don’t you explore the gardens a bit more,” Claudia suggested, gently pushing the twins away. “I think it’s best if your father and I talk first.” 

“Okay,” Cloud nodded. 

“Take your time,” Prompto teased with a smirk, causing Cor to lightly smack his shoulder. They walked back towards their large group, who had been watching the exchange silently. 

“You think this will still work?” Cloud whispered. 

“We’ve gotten this far, it’s got to!” Prompto whispered back. 

Cor watched them go and ran a hand through his hair; what a day this turned out to be. “I still can’t wrap my head around it,” He said. “Just seeing the two of them together, it’s…” 

“I know,” Claudia agreed. “It almost doesn’t feel real.” 

Cor nodded and they watched in silence for a moment before he cleared his throat, “So, uh, how are you Claudia?” He asked. “I mean, I don’t want to pry-” 

“No no, it’s fine,” Claudia reassured. “Things have been going well; but then again, not much happens in Nibelheim. I imagine your life is more exciting than mine.” 

Cor chuckled, “I wouldn’t say that; less swords and more paperwork nowadays,” He gestured behind him, “I suppose Noctis can be a handful, but that’s more Ignis and Gladio’s territory than mine.” 

“They’ve grown into fine young men,” Claudia said. “Prompto too...you’ve raised him well, despite...” 

“Thanks,” Cor said softly. “So have you...Cloud looks...amazing; now I really wish I knew it was him this past week, because-” 

“Cor, what on earth?” An older voice rang out. “Why are you all wet?” Claudia’s eyes widened and Cor turned to see King Regis calmly walking towards them. The King had an amused smile on his face as he took in Cor’s state, “It seems I missed quite a show.” 

“Y-Your Majesty,” Cor said, stepping to the side and putting Claudia in view, making the King’s eyes slowly widen. “I can explain-” 

“Claudia Strife!?” Regis exclaimed. 

“Hello Regis,” Claudia said. 

Regis smiled in disbelief, “As I live and breathe...it’s really you!” 

“It’s so good to see you again,” Claudia said smiling. “Although I suppose now I should call you ‘Your Majesty’.” 

Regis waved his hand, a genuine smile coming to his face, “There’s no need for formalities among old friends,” He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s wonderful to see you too.” 

“Claudia?!” Clarus had just entered the scene. His eyes were wide as he approached, “By the Six…!” 

“Hello Clarus,” Claudia greeted before giggling. “Goodness, you’ve certainly changed, what happened to your hair?” 

“I ask myself that every day,” Regis joked. 

“Oh, thanks,” Clarus scoffed before blinking, "Cor, what the hell happened to you?" 

"Long story..." Cor muttered.

“Regardless, this is a wonderful turn of events,” Regis said. “Claudia, may I invite you for some tea? I think we would all love a chance to catch up,” He glanced at Cor. “And give Cor some time to dry himself off.” Cor’s cheeks turned pink. 

“I would love to,” Claudia said. The King and his entourage traveled from the gardens to the Citadel, and Cor eventually turned off so as to change out of his wet clothes. 

Clarus leaned towards him before he left, “Don’t be nervous, alright?” 

Cor stopped walking, “What? Why would I be nervous?” 

“It’s not every day your ex shows up after fifteen years,” Clarus remarked. “This could be your chance.” 

“What are you implying, Amicitia?” Cor growled, heat rushing to his face. 

“Come on, Cor, we were all heartbroken when it happened, especially you.” Clarus teased. 

“That’s enough!” Cor hissed, his cheeks now a dark pink. “It’s been fifteen years, I’m...sure she’s moved on...like I have.” He tacked on that last bit a little too quickly.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Clarus said, a smirk on his face. Cor glared at him and stormed off down the hall. “Be sure to change into something nice!” He called. 

“Shut  _ up _ , Clarus!” Cor warned, his cheeks still pink.

* * *

After drying himself off and changing into dry clothes, Cor made his way to the room where Regis, Clarus, and Claudia were sitting at a table, set up with the usual tea setup. 

“That’s such a shame about Weskham,” Claudia was saying. “But I’m glad that he’s doing alright.” 

“I’m sure if he were here, he’d be just as delighted to see you again,” Regis replied. Cor couldn’t help but stand in the doorway for a moment. Claudia’s hair always looked like gold in the sunlight. 

Unfortunately, Clarus spotted him, “There he is!” 

Claudia looked right at him and Cor blinked, heat rising to his cheeks once again. He quickly composed himself and entered the room, taking his seat. 

“You look much better now, Cor,” Regis said. 

“Feel better, too,” Cor replied, ignoring the smirk Clarus was subtly giving him. 

“Regis was just telling me about the rest of your little group,” Claudia said. “And...I assume by the look of things here, you and Cid are still…” 

Regis’ face fell, “I’m afraid so,” He said sadly. “But that shouldn’t stop you from trying to pay him a visit if you can; he’s always been fond of you.” 

Claudia nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind,” She said. “It feels like it’s been ages since we were all together like this.” 

“It feels like you never left,” Clarus said, earning a smile from Claudia. 

From there, Cor was able to integrate himself into the conversation. As Clarus said, it was as if Claudia had never left. She always seemed to mesh so well with them, despite them being either royalty or just important figures in general. Once she got past the wall of formality, Claudia treated everyone like they were just a regular person. Before Cor knew it, hours had passed, the sun starting to set. 

“Oh my, it’s certainly getting late,” Regis said. 

“Do you have something scheduled?” Claudia asked. 

“No, but I should probably make sure the kingdom isn’t falling apart without me,” Regis joked, slowly getting up. “I’ll be back in a short while; please, continue. Clarus, accompany me?” Clarus nodded and got up. Cor’s jaw tightened as Regis sent him a smile and Clarus had the gall to wink at him; what the hell were they trying to do?! 

“It’s nice to see that they haven’t changed much,” Claudia said. 

“You haven’t had to live with them,” Cor commented. 

“Fair enough,” Claudia laughed. “But then again, I think your job would get boring without them around.” 

“You got me there,” Cor admitted. Claudia smiled, but it faded quite quickly. “Is something wrong?” Cor asked. 

Claudia played with her teacup a bit, “I...heard from the boys that you were thinking about long-term missions again,” She said. “Is that true?” 

Cor knew that tone; it was the tone that said she wasn’t happy but was willing to hear him out. “Yes,” He answered. “But...nothing’s really finalized yet; it’s a big decision after all.” He wasn’t sure what made him add that last statement, but he didn’t question it. “Prompto, or, I guess it was Cloud, wasn’t too happy about it when I told him.” Claudia just nodded. “What about you?” Cor asked. 

Claudia blinked, “Me? What difference does it make how I feel? I don’t tell you what to do!” She pushed some hair back behind her ear; her usual nervous tick.

“I’ve been making a point to ask everyone’s opinion on it,” Cor said carefully, training his eyes on the table. “So...it wouldn’t feel right leaving you out.” 

Claudia peeked at him from the side, her cheeks turning a light pink. Then she got up, “We should...probably make sure the boys aren’t getting into trouble,” She said. “We’ve left them for quite a while, and Cloud’s friends can get quite rowdy.” 

“You’re right,” Cor said, a bit relieved; that was getting awkward real fast. “Shall we?” Claudia nodded and Cor led her out of the room.

* * *

They met Regis and Clarus on the way back to the gardens, assuming that the boys had convened there. Sure enough, as they reached the plaza and the fountain, they were right. The twins were sitting amongst the two groups that had merged into one, all of them either occupying benches or sitting on the ground. 

They were all talking animatedly with each other, and Regis couldn’t help but smile warmly as Noctis easily conversed with people that weren’t Gladio, Ignis, or Prompto. The Prince was even holding Cait Sith in his arms as he spoke with Cloud and Barret. 

“Well, it looks like you guys are having fun,” Cor said, catching the group’s attention. They also spotted Regis and Clarus, making them shoot to their feet. 

Claudia looked around, “Nothing’s wrecked or burned down; I guess miracles really do happen,” She teased, looking specifically at Cloud and AVALANCHE.

“Ouch,” Gladio laughed. 

“We’re not that bad, Mom!” Cloud protested. 

“That’s cold, Mrs. Strife,” Cait Sith agreed from his perch on Noctis’ shoulder. 

“My, what a rag-tag group we have here,” Regis couldn’t help but comment. 

“Is that dog tame?” Clarus asked, gesturing to Red. 

“Gentle as can be, sir,” Cid reassured, Aerith driving the point home by wrapping her arms around Red’s neck and giving him a hug. 

Regis’ gaze then fell on the twin boys, who were standing side by side once again. “Well, I never thought I’d see the day where you two were together again,” He said. “Now forgive me, but which one is Cloud?” Cloud slightly raised his hand, suddenly feeling shy; he’d never really been in front of a king before. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Cloud,” Regis said. “You’ve certainly grown into a fine young man.” 

“T-Thanks, Your Majesty,” Cloud managed. 

“And Noctis, it seems you’ve made quite a number of new friends,” Regis said. “I hoped you behaved yourself.” 

Noctis blushed and looked at the ground but Aerith appeared at his side, “Aww no need to be modest,” She cooed. “Noctis was wonderful, and so were Ignis and Gladio.” 

“Yeah, you’re actually really cool; you know, for a prince,” Yuffie said. 

“Yuffie!” Tifa hissed, but a small smile was pulling at Noctis’ face. Cait Sith cooed a bit, pawing at his face, making Noctis lightly smack him. 

“Well, start saying good night boys,” Claudia said to the twins. “I don’t know what the plan is tomorrow, but knowing you two it’s going to be something big.” 

“What? C’mon Mom, who said anything about planning something?” Prompto said, yelping softly as Cloud elbowed him. 

“Claudia, you and your boys are welcome any time,” Regis said. “I assume we’ll see you at some point tomorrow?” 

“Something tells me we won’t have a choice,” Claudia said, shooting the twins a look, who innocently looked away. 

“I’ll...see you tomorrow then,” Cor said to her. 

“Yes...see you tomorrow,” Claudia said, giving him a smile. 

The two shared a look just long enough before turning away to make Prompto give Cloud a small high-five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, don't you HATE it when you're trying to hook your divorced parents up and they don't have a full-on talk because those pesky NERVES get in the way? At least Prompto and Cloud aren't the only active matchmakers here XD
> 
> Also, Noctis just got like nine new friends through Cloud. This could be very good for him in the future :3


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phase 2 is officially put into action, and Claudia and Cor finally get a chance to properly talk.

Claudia was suspicious. Very suspicious. It had been almost an entire day and there hadn’t been a word from the boys. 

In fact, that morning after everyone was awake, Noctis and his retinue met them after breakfast to take the group for a day on the town, splitting into little groups. Gladio took Barret, Cloud, and Cid, Ignis took Red, Reeve, and Vincent, and Noctis and Prompto took the rest, including Cait Sith. 

Claudia had politely declined, not because she didn’t trust Cloud and Prompto at the moment, but because she already knew Insomnia fairly well and could get around herself if she so desired. But as the morning became the afternoon without any sign of a scheme from the twins, she was starting to get paranoid. 

Claudia eventually found herself back in the Citadel gardens, either hoping to become relaxed by the plant life, or to find her troublesome twins hiding out and planning. She couldn’t decide what would be better. In the end, instead of finding Cloud and Prompto, she found Aerith and Tifa, who were with a younger girl that was talking animatedly to them. 

“Oh, hi Mrs. Strife!” Aerith called when she was spotted. 

“Hello Aerith, Tifa,” Claudia greeted. 

“You’re Mrs. Strife?” The younger girl asked. 

“I am,” Claudia answered. “And you?” 

“I’m Iris, Gladdy’s little sister!” The girl said happily. 

Claudia blinked in surprise, “His sister?” 

“Yep!” Iris nodded. “Gladdy’s told me a lot about you, you know since I wasn’t born yet back when you were here.” 

Claudia smiled. “Well, I think I would’ve figured it out eventually,” She said. “Now that I look at you, you’re the spitting image of your mother.” 

“I am?” Iris asked, her eyes wide. “No one’s...ever told me that before...or anything about mom...” 

“Well it’s true,” Claudia said kindly. “You’ll just have to join Noctis; if your fathers are too busy to talk about your mothers, I guess I’ll take that responsibility.” 

“Really?” Iris asked excitedly. “You’d tell me about my mom?” 

“Of course,” Claudia said. “In the meantime, it seems you’re getting along well with Aerith and Tifa.” 

“Noctis took us to an arcade and we met there,” Tifa said. “Then we decided to come back here.”

“Couldn’t get enough of the flowers?” Claudia teased. 

“Actually,” Aerith leaned forward, a glint in her eye, “We came here to find you.” 

Oh shit… “Really?” Claudia asked, barely masking her nervousness. 

“You didn’t happen to bring any...formal outfits with you from home, did you?” Tifa asked. 

Claudia frowned, “N-No, why would I have-” 

“Shopping time!” Iris declared. She grabbed Claudia’s hand and Aerith and Tifa flanked Claudia as they exited the gardens. 

“W-What-” 

“Don’t worry Mrs. Strife, this will be worth it,” Aerith said. 

“Just trust us,” Tifa added. 

“Yeah, it’ll be fun!” Iris chirped. 

“Oh boys, what have you done…?” Claudia muttered as she was herded off. 

* * *

That evening, Prompto was dragging Cor out of the Citadel and back to the hotel entrance. Prompto was dressed in a nice button-down shirt and slacks while Cor was wearing one of his more formal outfits since he was technically off-duty which involved a dress shirt, a jacket, and black slacks. 

“Prompto, I’ve had enough surprises, probably for a lifetime,” Cor was saying as they stopped in front of the doors. “ _ Please _ , tell me where we’re going!” 

“Trust me, Dad, you’re gonna love it,” Prompto said vaguely, a smile still on his face, making Cor sigh in defeat. Prompto’s gaze was then drawn to the door and Cor followed it. Cloud was exiting the door and by his side was...Claudia. 

She was wearing a royal blue gown that reached her ankles, made of shimmering material, and a floral pattern sewn in with black thread and capped sleeves. Her hair was down, falling gracefully over her shoulders while a Sylleblossom flower pin kept her bangs away from her face, and modest, silver low heeled shoes adorned her feet. Aerith, Tifa, and Iris could be seen peeking out from the back, proudly admiring at their handiwork. 

Claudia smiled as they walked towards them, “Hey,” She said. 

“H-Hey…” Cor managed; he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Claudia look so… 

“Ride’s here!” Prompto chirped as Ignis pulled the car up. 

“Do you have any idea where we’re going?” Claudia whispered as Cloud opened the door. 

“Not a clue,” Cor whispered back before they were ushered into the car with the boys.

* * *

Thankfully, the car ride wasn’t silent or awkward as Cloud and Prompto managed to fill the air with talk about what they had seen today. It seemed everyone had a very fun time together; even Ignis remarked that he enjoyed himself immensely and that he had never seen Noctis look so bright from social interaction that wasn’t himself, Gladio, or Prompto. 

Eventually, the car pulled to a stop and everyone got out, save for Ignis who drove off to park the car. 

“So, are you going to stop holding us hostage and tell us what’s going on?” Cor asked. 

“Relax, Cloud and I just set up a fun little evening for you,” Prompto said innocently. 

“Oh really?” Claudia raised an eyebrow. 

“Don’t worry, we took care of everything,” Cloud reassured. The twins stood on either side of their parents and walked them over to a large building, which happened to be one of the fancier restaurants in Insomnia; one that happened to be strikingly familiar to both Cor and Claudia. 

“Ignis made the recommendation,” Cloud said. 

“And we did the rest,” Prompto finished. 

“Boys…” Claudia breathed. “How on earth did you afford this?” 

“We have our ways,” Cloud answered vaguely. 

“Boys,” Cor said warningly. 

Prompto looked at the ground sheepishly. “...King Regis hooked us up.” 

“What?!” Both Claudia and Cor nearly screamed. 

“We didn’t plan that; honest,” Cloud said quickly. “He heard our plan through Noct and insisted on helping!” 

“Yeah, and we couldn’t just...say no to the King!” Prompto added. 

Cor pinched the bridge of his nose, “Dammit, Reggie…” He muttered. 

Claudia couldn’t help but giggle, “Still as insistent as ever, whether we like it or not,” She said. “Some things truly never change.” 

Cor sighed in exasperation, “Well, I guess we can’t pass this up now…” The boys beamed and they entered the restaurant. 

“Hello,” Prompto and Cloud walked up to the water. “Reservation under Leonis?” 

The waiter pulled up the list, “Ah yes, reservation for two.” 

“Uh, only two?” Cor asked. 

“Oh, we’re not eating with you,” Prompto said. “We ate with the whole gang a while back.” 

“Yeah, so you two...just enjoy yourselves,” Cloud said, he and Prompto backing away. “Don’t worry about us.” 

“You know that only makes me worry more,” Claudia said with a look. 

“You can trust me this time,” Cloud said. 

“Not helping,” Claudia drawled. The twins took that opportunity to book it and Cor chuckled a bit as Claudia sighed, “Those two, we created little monsters.” 

“That we did,” Cor agreed. They were shown to their seat and Cor blinked in recognition at the specific table and set up, “I see now…” 

“What?” Claudia asked. 

“They’re recreating our first official date,” Cor said. 

“You mean the one where we took that photo?” Claudia asked. “Yeah, I see it now...those boys…” 

“I take it you already know what they’re up to?” Cor asked. 

“And I’m guessing it just hit you,” Claudia said. 

“It did,” Cor said, “Astrals, it was bad enough with just Clarus…” 

“Clarus?” Claudia said. “Did he say something?” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Cor waved his hand and gestured to the table. “Shall we?” Claudia smiled and they both took their seat across from each other. After ordering their food, silence began to settle around them and Cor felt himself starting to panic. 

“So, why don’t you tell me more about what you and Prompto do here,” Claudia prompted. Thank the Six she was better at making small talk than he was… 

“Oh, uh, nothing unusual,” Cor said. “I’d go to work, he’d go to school, and we’d try to spend time together whenever we could; I doubt Clarus and Regis would bug me as much about taking a day off if Prompto wasn’t around.” 

“That I can believe,” Claudia giggled, “I’d always have to practically drag you out of your office.” 

Cor smirked, “Be proud that you were the only one who could pull that off successfully,” He said. “What about you? I imagine you had much more time to spend with Cloud.” 

Claudia hummed, “Yes and no,” She admitted. “Cloud was a bit of a loner in his early days; always going off on his own when Tifa was being hogged by the other kids.” 

“...Was he troubled?” Cor asked carefully, noting Claudia’s frown. 

“A bit, yes,” Claudia said. “Way back when, Tifa was the only one who ever really talked to Cloud; all the other kids thought he was weird and in turn, Cloud thought they didn’t like him which just drove him further away from Tifa.” She sighed. “Thank the Six that Aerith and her mother Elmyra moved in before it could get any worse; if she hadn’t been able to crack Cloud’s shell open and reconnect with Tifa I don’t know what could’ve happened.” 

Cor couldn’t help but chuckle, “That sounds familiar…” He said softly. 

“Hm? What was that?” Claudia asked. 

“Uh, nothing!” Cor resolved quickly. “So uh, what about school on Cloud’s end?” 

“Oh, he and all the other kids were homeschooled,” Claudia said. “The community tried to put together funding to build a real school, but it never came to be.” 

“That must mean you were one busy mom,” Cor said. “You had to raise Cloud and teach him?” 

“You’re one to talk,” Claudia teased. “How did you manage to be both a father and a Marshal?” 

“Lots of trial and error with time management,” Cor said before smirking, “And I still managed to make it to all of Prompto’s important school events.” 

“Go you,” Claudia smiled. Their food arrived, along with their wine, and the tension in the atmosphere slowly loosened and vanished. For a good while, it was like they were back in their youth again, talking and laughing about stories and events that happened in their lives. But unfortunately, the warmth had to come to an end. 

“Honestly, Claudia, I want to know,” Cor was saying. “What are your future plans once Cloud leaves the nest?” 

“And I’ll tell you the same thing I told you nearly twenty years ago, I’m still figuring it out!” Claudia protested good-naturedly. “Nibelheim doesn’t exactly give you opportunities.” 

“You can’t tell me that you plan to stay there,” Cor went on. “I mean, with Cloud still around, I understand, but after that? The Claudia I know wouldn’t just sit around.” 

“I’m not the young Claudia I used to be,” Claudia said. 

“And?” Cor challenged, making Claudia blush a bit. “Actually, isn’t that the whole reason you came out here back then?” Cor asked. “Yeah, you came to Insomnia to ‘find your calling’, your words; last time I checked you would never give that up.” 

“Yeah, but that all changed when the boys came along,” Claudia responded, suddenly shifting the mood down a bit. 

Cor frowned but nodded, “I suppose that’s true…” 

“Speaking of, what should we do about them?” Claudia asked. “Now that they’ve met...it seems cruel to take them away from each other again.” 

Cor nodded in agreement. “I’ve always felt terrible about that, deep down,” He said. “That I was keeping Prompto from another part of himself.” 

“I felt the same with Cloud,” Claudia said. “I guess we were both being selfish back then.” 

“Yeah,” Cor said softly. “I guess we could...each take both of them for half a year.” 

“Yes, but...I don’t want them to feel like they’re being carted around,” Claudia said. “Switching Prompto in and out of school would be a hassle, and Cloud has his friends in Nibelheim that he loves…” 

Cor nodded, “Prompto has the Prince, Ignis, Gladio...I know Noctis would especially hate to be without Prompto for so long…” 

“I’m...sure we can figure something out,” Claudia said. 

“We better, or those two will never let us live it down,” Cor agreed. 

“In a perfect world, we’d probably all live here, like before,” Claudia commented. “I don’t think even Regis could take you out of Insomnia kicking and screaming...unless you’ve decided already, on…” She trailed off. 

Cor’s face fell a bit and he sighed, “I’m pretty sure we had this fight already, no need to revisit it.”

“Fair enough,” Claudia said. 

“Speaking of fights,” Cor looked a bit nervous. “Should we talk about it?” Cor Claudia looked up at him, already knowing exactly what he was talking about. “I mean, we’re here, we...may as well talk about…” 

“That night,” Claudia finished. “You’re right...we may not get another chance.” Cor nodded and the silence came again. 

This time Claudia broke it, “Um, I didn’t hurt you did I?” She asked, looking a bit guilty. “When I…?” She vaguely gestured. 

“Threw a hairdryer at me?” Cor finished, before smiling a bit and shaking his head, “Just a bruise; nothing a potion couldn’t fix.” 

“Good,” Claudia said. “It’s strange; I remember that night so clearly, but at the same time it happened so fast that it feels like I can’t remember.” 

“Yeah, the whole thing was an ordeal...I had never felt that tense before,” Cor said. 

“Well I don’t blame you, you had pulled three all-nighters in a row before it,” Claudia said. 

“So had you,” Cor protested. “That was the week we couldn’t bring the boys to the Citadel, so you had your hands full with them all day and night.” 

“We hadn’t had any time to ourselves in so long,” Claudia said, looking at the table with slight regret. 

“You already had so much on your plate, I didn’t want to pile on more…” 

“You always seemed so busy, I didn’t want to bug you with my problems…” 

They blinked as they realized they had pretty much spoken at the same time. They stared at each other for a moment before looking away. 

“Do you...remember when you left?” Cor asked. 

“I do…” Claudia said. “The city felt so quiet that day…” 

“It did…” Cor said. “I honestly just remember you getting in the taxi with Cloud and...I never saw you again.” 

“I did everything to not look back,” Claudia said. “I told myself it was because I was afraid I was making a mistake...but it was likely just spite.” There was a beat of silence. “But you know what’s strange?” Claudia asked softly. “Even though I was so upset...a small part of me...still wanted you to come after me…” 

“Claudia…” Cor said softly. A sadness seemed to drape over them, their now empty dinner plates failing as a distraction. Someone had to say something! 

“Cor-” 

“Claudia-” They spoke together. 

Cor chuckled and Claudia looked away, pushing some hair behind her ear. “What are we doing?” Claudia sighed. 

“I’ve...been asking myself that question all day,” Cor admitted. 

“We’re not ready for this,” Claudia said. 

“You’re right,” Cor agreed. “Then I guess...we should just put on a brave face for the boys.” 

“That sounds like a plan,” Claudia said. 

Little did they know, the boys had overheard the whole conversation.

* * *

The next morning, Claudia had just finished checking out of the hotel. Her luggage had just been brought down and Cor arrived to see them off. AVALANCHE stood near the door with Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and even Iris, the groups exchanging any contact information and goodbyes, while Cor went straight to Claudia.

“So…” Claudia said. 

“So,” Cor repeated. “It...was great to see you again.” 

“It was,” Claudia agreed. “And it wasn’t a total disaster.” 

“Clarus is gonna hold the fountain thing over my head for the rest of my life,” Cor chuckled. 

“I didn’t say it was perfect,” Claudia teased. They both laughed softly, before silence overcame them again, not wanting to say what needed to be said. 

“So, I’ll send Prompto to you for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Cor said, desperate to fill the air. 

“And Cloud will get Easter and Spring Break with you,” Claudia finished. They smiled for a moment before Claudia frowned, “Where are the boys, anyway? They’re taking their sweet time,” She said. 

“Probably still torn up about this,” Cor said. “I’m sure they’ll be down soon.” At that moment, the elevator dinged and the twins stepped out. They walked towards them, side by side, wearing very baggy and casual grey clothes. 

Claudia made a face. “Cloud, what are you wearing, we’ve got an airship to catch.” 

“Here’s the deal Mom,” Prompto said. “We talked about it last night and we feel...well, kinda ripped off.” Cor and Claudia exchanged a confused glance. 

“Dad promised he’d come on the camping trip this year, and we wanna go; together,” Cloud said. 

“What camping trip?” Cor asked suspiciously. 

“The one Noct goes on once a year in the summer with his entourage,” Prompto said. “You said you wanted to come with this time.” 

Claudia shook her head, “Boys, you’re both being ridiculous; Cloud, go upstairs and get dressed.” 

“Are you sure I’m Cloud?” Cloud asked with a smirk, suddenly sounding just like Prompto. 

“Of course I’m sure!” Claudia said as if it were obvious. 

“But it’s kinda hard to tell, isn’t it?” Prompto said, now sounding just like Cloud. 

Cor crossed his arms, “Boys, I see what you’re doing and it’s  _ not  _ funny, you’re going to make your mother miss her flight.” The twins didn’t waver at all, staying right where they were, looking as if nothing was wrong. 

“Cloud!” Claudia said firmly. 

“Yes?” Both boys responded, sounding completely alike. They were at an impasse; with their hair and similar clothing, it was nearly impossible to tell who was who. Even their two groups of friends seemed to be confused as ever! They had even thought ahead with Red’s nose since they were wearing a mix of their clothing, blending their scents together. 

Cor, being the brave soldier, stepped forward and looked at each boy closely. Neither boy gave an inch, but he eventually settled on the left twin. “This one is Prompto,” He said as confidently as he could. “I’m sure of it.” 

Prompto(?) smirked, “I hope you’re right Dad; cause you wouldn’t wanna send the wrong kid all the way back to Nibelheim, would you?” 

“That would just be a mess,” Cloud(?) said, sounding just like the other. Cor stepped back at a loss for words. He looked at Claudia for help but she looked just as lost as he did. Cloud and Prompto had planned this out expertly and weren’t backing down until the other side gave in. 

“Here’s our proposition,” Cloud(?) said. “We go back and pack our things.” 

“And then the four of us…” Prompto(?) continued. 

“Go on the camping trip with Noctis.” They said at the same time in the same voice, throwing anyone else desperately trying to follow off the scent again. The twins exchanged a triumphant look as they could practically see their parents’ heads spinning. 

“And when we come back…” Prompto(?) started. 

“We’ll tell you who’s Cloud, and who’s Prompto.” Cloud(?) finished. 

“Sound fair?” They said together with the same voice, wrapping up their game with a perfect bow. 

Claudia slumped in defeat and Cor pinched the bridge of his nose. “You boys are going to be the death of us…” He muttered. 

The twins only smiled and gave each other a sly high five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there! Cor and Claudia just need one more SHOVE in the right direction and Cloud and Prompto worked TOO HARD to let this plan fail without a fight!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now being dragged along for the camping trip, Cloud and Prompto pull out all the stops to put their final plan in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *yanks FE Three Houses parasite off my head* We are NOT GETTING DISTRACTED! Not when we're SO CLOSE!!

It’s not  _ funny _ , Clarus!” 

The Shield of the King was inconsolable, holding his middle as he laughed while Cor glared at him angrily. “Oh, that’s priceless,” He laughed. “Your kids are tricky!” 

“I’ll admit, Prompto I expected,” Regis said, who was smiling widely and also immensely enjoying Cor’s suffering. “But not Cloud; Prompto must have really rubbed off on him.” 

“It’s just a camping trip,” Cor muttered. 

“Yeah, a camping trip where you and Claudia get to share a tent,” Clarus teased. 

“W-Who said anything about sharing?!” Cor spluttered, turning bright red. 

“Oh, I’ve missed this,” Regis said wistfully. “I feel like we’re twenty years younger.” 

“I’m glad that my humiliation amuses you,  _ Your Majesty _ ,” Cor spat. 

Clarus snorted, “It's always amused us, but thanks for noticing.” 

“I’m _this_ close to running you through, Amicitia!” 

“You’ve never had the guts to pull your sword on me, even back then!” 

“Try me!” 

“Alright, alright,” Regis finally came between them. “Let’s not get Cor all worked up before his big trip.” 

“I’m not worked up!” Cor snapped. 

“There there, now,” Regis soothed, slightly rubbing Cor’s shoulders, “Deep breaths.” 

Cor took a few breaths through his nose before deflating with a tired sigh, “This has got to be the most hectic week of my life…” 

“Oh come on, it could be worse,” Clarus said. “You’re just being roped into a camping trip you were going to go on anyway.” 

“Well, I’m sorry if the idea of my ex-wife being there kind of dampens the mood,” Cor grumbled. 

“Oh, you don’t mean that,” Regis said. “She may have come here unannounced, but you two seem to have been getting along wonderfully.” 

“There’s a difference between spending a few hours together and spending a whole week together!” Cor protested. “We haven’t spent a day under the same roof in fifteen years, even if it is a tent!” 

Regis sighed, “Clarus, would you mind giving us a moment?” Clarus nodded knowingly and stepped out of the room, while Cor frowned in confusion. “Alright Cor, Clarus is gone now; why don’t you tell me what’s really on your mind?” 

“...What are you talking about?” Cor asked, only giving Regis a glance. 

Regis hummed at the obvious tell. “Cor, you can’t lie to me; I heard about how your dinner with Claudia went.” 

Cor blinked and whirled on Regis, “I thought only Prompto and Cloud knew!” 

“Well, Prompto told Noctis, so I eventually heard it,” Regis said. “And now I’m curious about what you two were trying to achieve; from what Prompto heard, everything was going just fine.” 

“It was...just too abrupt, I guess,” Cor said. “We both agreed that we weren’t...ready.” 

Regis frowned, “Cor, you’re both fully grown adults; giving your relationship another try is hardly the scariest thing you’ve done, especially given that you both had over fifteen years to yourselves to think on it.” 

“It’s not that I’m scared; looking back, Claudia and I happened...so fast, too fast!” Cor said, walking to the window. “I was young, I was stupid-” 

“And you were in love,” Regis finished for him. 

Cor looked at him, “I...I…” His eyes wandered the floor, an unreadable expression on his face. 

Regis chuckled, “I haven’t seen that look on your face she left; I still remember how flustered you got when we found out you were seeing each other. Clarus and Cid teased you like you were a schoolboy with a crush.” 

Cor smiled slightly at the memory, “Didn’t you guys also place bets on us?” 

“Cor, the sheer idea of you seeing someone was unheard of,” Regis chuckled. “You can’t blame us for being a bit overexcited.” 

Cor sighed and looked back out the window, “I’m honestly surprised Claudia was able to put up with me back then…” 

Regis laughed. “I begged her to tell me her secret that got you away from your desk or the training area; but that was something that couldn’t be taught.” He smiled as Cor was smiling to himself too. “She was the only one who could make you go weak at the knees,” He went on. “Only someone very special can do that.”

Cor felt a heat rush to his cheeks and turned away, fists clenched, “...I’ve moved on.” 

“Is that why you’ve never remarried?” Regis asked. Cor said nothing and Regis stood up. “You’ve never even considered that idea, have you?”

Cor’s fists slowly loosened, “I tried but...none of them were her…” He said softly, gazing up at the sky. “No one could ever...will ever compare…” 

Regis walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, “Then isn’t that reason enough to try?” He asked. Cor didn’t respond. “Don’t let your pride keep you from being happy,” Regis said, making Cor look at him. “That goes for both you and Claudia.” Cor bit his lip and looked away again. 

“Go on the trip Cor,” Regis urged gently. “Just be yourself and see what happens.” 

Cor smiled a bit, “Is that an order from my king or my friend?” 

“Both,” Regis returned the smile. “But more of the latter, if that helps.”

* * *

Normally, only one car was necessary for the camping trip, but this time, three were needed. Not only were Cloud, Claudia, and Cor joining for the trip, but so was the entirety of AVALANCHE. 

Whether they actually wanted to give regular camping a try, just wanted to come to watch the show between Cor and Claudia, or just wanted an excuse to leave the busy city air that they weren’t used to, no one could tell. And since AVALANCHE was pretty accustomed to traveling the wild world and taking care of themselves, neither Ignis nor Gladio saw the harm in it. 

The biggest surprise was Noctis; he was absolutely ecstatic. In the past it had always just been himself, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto; Gladio and Ignis, pretty much because they were required and Prompto because he was the only friend he had. 

That had changed during the past two days. Now the prince had a whole new group of people that he actually liked and wanted to hang out with. So when the large merc group all expressed interest in the camping trip, he beamed brighter than anyone had ever seen. If anyone had had any objections up to that point, seeing that convinced them entirely. 

Cloud was a bit surprised too at the sudden turn of events. AVALANCHE didn’t camp very often. It was only if they were doing a job and it lasted later than expected. And even then that was if there wasn’t a town nearby that could put them up for the night. 

Cloud knew they had all been getting along well with Noctis, Gladio, Ignis, and everyone, but it was apparently better than he realized. As long as none of them got in the way of the newly brainstormed Plan C, everything would be fine. 

The large party of three cars soon arrived at the usual haven that served as their camping spot. It was in a lovely place, in the middle of a large green field, along with a small hill that led to a large pond with a dock and boats. It was basically paradise for Noctis, as the pond had been dubbed his favorite fishing spot for years now. With so many extra hands, the camp was set up in no time, with four tents set up to be divided. Once it was done, everyone could have time to themselves and rest up. 

Noctis immediately pulled Prompto to the lake so he could fish and Prompto could take some good scenery shots, Aerith and Yuffie following. Gladio took Cloud aside, wanting a chance to finally spar properly with him, which drew Barret and Tifa over to them as well, leaving the rest to relax and talk with Ignis. 

By sunset, Noctis had caught fresh fish for them to eat for dinner. “That took longer than usual,” Gladio commented. 

“Yuffie kept distracting him by saying how boring fishing was,” Prompto explained. 

“That was certainly brave of her,” Ignis commented, glancing at Noctis and Yuffie, who were still bickering. 

“Yuffie has a tendency to push people’s buttons, no matter who they are,” Reeve sighed. Cloud and Prompto went over to break them up, and Cait Sith climbed onto the pouting Prince’s head to attempt to cheer him up. Ignis cooked up the fish Noctis had caught, with Red watching at his side with interest. Cloud sat next to Vincent, who had been sitting silently the whole time, as he usually does.

“How have they been doing?” Cloud asked softly, gesturing to Cor and Claudia. 

Vincent hummed, “Not much interaction,” He said. “They keep finding excuses to not talk.” 

Cloud softly cursed and moved back to Prompto. “We need a new tactic,” He murmured. 

“How bad is it?” Prompto responded softly. 

“They won’t talk to each other; I think they’re scared,” Cloud said. 

“Okay...we gotta get them alone somehow, force them to talk…” Prompto muttered. 

“You’re overthinking this, there are perfectly good boats right there,” Cid suddenly remarked, appearing behind them. The twins looked at him and then looked at the boat, sitting patiently at the docks below. 

“I also hear the fireflies are gonna come out tomorrow night,” Gladio added softly. Scheming grins slowly came to Cloud and Prompto’s faces that quickly became poker faces once everyone gathered around the fire for dinner.

* * *

The next evening came quickly, and the twins decided to pull the guilt trip card in order for this to work. 

“C’mon, can we please go and see the fireflies together?” Prompto plead. 

“Just one last time...as a family,” Cloud added on, easily cornering Cor and Claudia. So, just as the sun began to set, the four of them headed down to the docks. 

Prompto and Cloud quickly got into one of the boats, indirectly forcing their parents to occupy the other. Thankfully, it wasn’t too awkward as Cor helped Claudia into the boat. Just before he stepped in after her, Aerith slipped a familiar yellow flower into Cor’s pocket. 

Cloud leaned towards her, “Did you give him what I think you just gave him?” He asked softly. 

“You know I did,” Aerith replied slyly. “For luck.” Cloud gave her a smirk while Prompto gave a thumb’s up. 

“Cloud are you sure about this?” Claudia called. “You know how bad your motion sickness can get.” 

“I can handle it,” Cloud said casually, before giving Prompto to a subtle wink. The two boats rowed out onto the water, Cor and Prompto handling the rowing of their respective boat. Prompto intentionally rowed slower than Cor, letting their parents get ahead of them. 

Once they were certain they were in the clear, Prompto nodded, “Now!” He whisper-yelled. Cloud took out a spare pair of oars and the two of them quickly rowed back to a part of the shore where a batch of trees and bushes stood. They hurried out of the boat and stayed low. 

“I don’t think they saw us,” Cloud said. “They’re still rowing.” 

“C’mon, we gotta keep watch!” Prompto pulled his brother over, pair of binoculars in hand. They stood next to each other by some trees and took turns gazing through them.

* * *

Cor stopped rowing once they reached the middle of the lake. It was then they realized that they were alone. “Where did the boys go?” They looked around before they spotted the boat at the shore by the patch of trees. They even saw a glimpse of two blonde heads before they quickly vanished. 

“We fell for it again, didn’t we?” Cor asked. 

Claudia couldn’t help but laugh, “It looks like we did.” 

Cor chuckled and shook his head, “We have got to get better at seeing through them, otherwise they’ll have us wrapped around their fingers.” 

“We do,” Claudia agreed. At that moment, glowing started to appear all around them. The fireflies came out of hiding and began lighting up the air and sky with soft yellow glows. 

“You think they saw us?” Prompto whispered as he and Cloud pressed themselves against two trees. 

“I don’t think so,” Cloud whispered back. 

“Oh, the fireflies are out,” Prompto whispered. “C’mon let’s keep watching!” They crouched behind a large bush and peered through the shared binoculars together. 

“It’s beautiful…” Claudia breathed. 

“Yeah, it is…” Cor said softly. Claudia went to look at him and swore she saw him look away the moment she did. “You know...this reminds me of when I told you I had never seen the stars before,” Cor said. 

“You remember that?” Claudia asked. 

“Of course I do,” Cor said. “You got Weskham to drive us miles away from Insomnia in the dead of night just so we could see the stars in the sky.” He smiled a bit. “I had never thought about things like that before...but you always saw the beauty in little things.” 

“Well, as I told you back then, growing up in the middle of nowhere will do that to you,” Claudia said. They were silent for a moment, watching the sight of the fireflies. “...We’re doing it again, aren’t we?” Claudia said softly. 

“Yeah...but is that so bad?” Cor said, catching Claudia off-guard. “We were happy, weren’t we?” 

“...We were,” Claudia responded. 

“Did you ever feel like that after you left?” Cor asked. 

“No...I mean, of course I was happy with Cloud around but...it wasn’t the same,” Claudia said. 

Cor chuckled a bit, “Me? I was a wreck,” He said. “It hit me about thirty seconds after you left...that I realized what I had lost.” 

Claudia looked down at her hands, “When I got back home to Nibelheim...a wave of shock hit me out of nowhere,” She admitted. “And after that it was like…” 

“Like you were left with nothing…” Cor finished. Claudia nodded, but didn’t speak. “When you came back...I told myself that I couldn’t let myself feel that way again. I was the Marshal and a father, I never wanted to feel that vulnerable again...but now I realize that I’m just hurting myself by doing this,” Cor said, looking Claudia in the eyes. “I’m not going to let my pride get in the way of being happy,” He said seriously. “Especially when it comes to you.” Claudia blinked in surprise. 

“You said that a part of you wanted me to come after you,” Cor went on. “Well, a part of me wanted to do that too...and I’ve regretted not doing just that ever since...every time I looked at Prompto and saw your vibrance, every time I found an old picture of us and thought about what could have been, for fifteen years…” Cor put a hand on her cheek. “I don’t want to make the same mistake again.” 

Tears filled Claudia’s eyes, “And I guess you just expect me to start crying hysterically and fall into your arms while we say we’ll just figure this whole thing out with our sons being raised here and there and...and you and I just…” Her voice grew softer. “You and I...picking up where we left off and...growing old together and...living happily ever after…” She wiped her eyes, as Cor moved closer. “...I’m scared…I don’t want to lose what we have again...” 

“I know...me too…” Cor responded softly. “But I want to take that risk...with you and only you.” He smiled slightly. “Except you don’t have to cry hysterically.” 

Claudia sighed, a tear escaping as she leaned into his touch, “Oh, yes I do…” Their foreheads gently touched before their lips finally met.

* * *

Back on the shore, Prompto and Cloud stared with wide eyes. They slowly pulled away from the binoculars and stared at each other in shock. They looked again to make sure they weren’t both hallucinating...and they weren’t. It was actually happening. The binoculars dropped from their limp hands. 

Prompto flopped onto his back with a sigh of relief. 

Cloud leaned against a tree, eyes wide. “It actually worked…” He whispered. “We actually did it…”

* * *

The boat returned and Cor and Claudia got off, hand in hand. When they reached the campsite, Cloud and Prompto wasted no time running over to them for a group hug. 

When they broke apart, Cor finally noticed the flower that had been snuck into his pocket. Claudia smiled brightly as Cor held it out to her, and they kissed once again, Cloud and Prompto beaming. At last, their family was together again, never to be torn apart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've done it! One more little epilogue to go and we'll be done!
> 
> Also, Regis and Clarus are probably high-fiving somewhere XD


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding is held, a surprise guest arrives, and the course of history gives off the air of being forever changed.

_(One year later)_

“Oh hold still, would you, Noct?” Ignis said, exasperated. The Prince continued to squirm as his advisor put the finishing touches on his princely garb. 

“It’s so stiff!” Noctis whined as he shuffled on the stool he was stood on. 

“If Prompto and Cloud could get through it, then you can too,” Ignis said. 

“Yeah Noct, get on our level,” Prompto commented from where he was sitting with Cloud in matching tailored suits. 

“You try wearing ten layers at once,” Noctis shot back. 

“Just make it through the ceremony and you can take off some of the more fancier pieces for the reception,” Ignis promised. 

There was a knock at the door before Tifa peeked in, “Mind if we join?” Marlene poked her head in for a split second before retreating, likely behind Tifa’s legs. 

“Not at all,” Ignis smiled. 

“Come enjoy the show,” Prompto joked, gesturing to Noctis. Tifa walked in, Marlene clinging to her. Tifa was wearing a beautiful royal blue dress, the skirt just reaching her knees while little Marlene was wearing a frilly pink gown, a flower clip adorning her brown hair. 

“Where’s Aerith?” Cloud asked.

“Still wrestling Yuffie into her dress,” Tifa said. “Keeps whining about how uncomfortable it is.” 

“See?! She gets it!” Noctis exclaimed. 

“Save the whining for when you see her, then,” Ignis chided. 

“Does Aerith need help?” Cloud asked. 

“Reeve’s helping; they’re almost there,” Tifa reassured. “And trust me, compared to getting Cid and Vincent dressed up, Yuffie is a simple case.” 

“Fair enough,” Cloud relented. 

“You look very pretty Marlene,” Prompto said, changing the subject. 

“Thanks!” Marlene chirped with a smile. “Daddy says I look like a princess!” 

“Well he’s right,” Prompto laughed. 

Cloud shared a look with Tifa, who nodded with a wink. “Uh, speaking of princesses,” Cloud said. “We uh, have a little surprise for you Noctis.” 

“Really?” Noctis blinked. “What for?” 

“Just because,” Tifa said with a shrug, putting her hands behind her back innocently. 

Noctis made a face, “Hurry up, Ignis!”

“One moment,” Ignis said patiently.

Finally, the finishing touches were put on and Noctis just about leapt off the stool and went right over to Tifa, “What’s the surprise?” 

“Noct, don’t be rude,” Ignis chided. 

“Hey, I deserve _something_ after putting up with _this_!” Noctis gestured angrily to his clothes. 

Tifa giggled, “You’ll see,” She headed for the door. “Prompto, Ignis, you come too; I think you’ll get a kick out of the surprise.” 

“Cloud, what’s she talking about?” Prompto asked a bit nervously. Cloud wisely stayed silent and followed Tifa to the door, Marlene following. “Hey, Cloud!” Prompto protested jumping to his feet and following them with Ignis. 

When they reached the hallway, Gladio, Iris, and the rest of AVALANCHE were spread out. Gladio was wearing his own formal Amicitia attire along with Iris. 

Aerith was wearing her best red dress and trying to force a flower pin into Yuffie’s hair, who was wearing a cute green dress. 

Barret was wearing a formal suit that surprisingly fit him, his gun-arm transformed into a normal metal hand thanks to some teamwork from Cid and Mr. Sophiar in Hammerhead. 

Speaking of, Cid was also wearing a suit, but the tie was loose and a bit rugged-looking as it was the only way he’d accept even wearing a tie in the first place. 

Vincent had somehow gotten convinced to have his unruly long hair cut and to get rid of all his usual attire in place of a regular suit. In fact, with his now short hair and without his usual red and black attire hiding his face, it was almost hard to recognize him. 

Reeve was wearing a suit, something he was very used to, while Cait Sith even dressed up for the occasion with a black bow tie around his neck, matching Red who wore a red bow tie, along with his fur that had been brushed and washed expertly, resulting in it being much softer than usual. 

Tifa nodded to Cid, Vincent, and Reeve, and they walked to the end of the hallways and stepped out of the door. Tifa gestured for Noctis to move down the hallway and the doors opened. Cid, Vincent, and Reeve stepped in first, “We have a last-minute guest,” Cid said before they moved aside. Noctis felt his heart stop. 

Stood in the doorway was a familiar head of blonde hair tied in a ponytail, along with a modest yellow dress that would normally be white were the occasion not a wedding. 

“Luna…?” Noctis breathed. Prompto almost choked on his breath as he registered the name while Ignis and Gladio looked completely dumbfounded. 

“Noctis,” Luna smiled and started towards him. Noctis quickly strode over to meet her, pulling her into a heartfelt embrace. Noctis almost seemed to be shaking as he held her close. “It’s so wonderful to see you again,” Luna said softly. 

“You’re here…” Noctis said softly, pulling away slightly. “But...how...how are you…?” 

“We smuggled her out,” Yuffie finally blurted with a grin. Everyone gaped at the group of mercenaries. 

“Smuggled is a strong word,” Reeve resolved. “More like we helped convince some Niffleheim higher-ups to let her come for a few days.” 

“We still had to sneak her out though,” Cait Sith pointed out. 

“That’s where you guys were for the past two weeks?!” Prompto exclaimed, turning to Cloud, remembering AVALANCHE’s sudden absence. “And you didn’t tell me?! You said you all were going out on a hunting trip!” 

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Cloud tried. 

“The audacity! The betrayal!” Prompto cried. “I’m your twin, your other half, the fire to your ice, the sun to your moon, we’re supposed to tell each other these things!” 

“Then how will we ever surprise each other?” Cloud responded with a smirk. “Besides you have other things to worry about.” 

“Don’t you dare change the subject-” 

“You must be Prompto,” Prompto blinked as Luna was suddenly in front of him, Cloud stepping back. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.” She held out her hand to him. 

It took Prompto a moment before he registered what was happening and took Luna’s hand for a shake. “Y-You too,” He squeaked. “I...I have so much to talk to you about…” 

“As do I,” Luna agreed, her smile still as bright. “We should reserve some time once the reception begins; Noctis has told me much about you, I look forward to hearing it from you.” 

“Y-Yeah!” Prompto nodded eagerly. “T-That sounds great!” Silence. He then realized he was still shaking Luna’s hand and Noctis was snickering. “S-Sorry!” Prompto yelped, pulling his hand away, causing Luna to giggle. 

Luna felt a gentle tug on her dress and she looked down to see Marlene looking up at her in awe, “Are you a real princess?” She asked. 

Luna smiled and knelt down to her eye-level, “Yes I am,” She said sweetly. “What’s your name?” 

“Marlene,” The toddler said, suddenly reverting back to her shy disposition. 

Cloud smiled and leaned towards Prompto as Marlene took Luna’s attention, “Hey, wanna go check on Mom and Dad?” 

Prompto flinched, “Oh, uh, sure; see you later, Luna!” Luna waved as Cloud and Prompto walked away. Prompto looked back and couldn’t help but smile as he saw Noctis happily talking with Luna. He then elbowed Cloud, “Seriously, how did you pull that off?!” He demanded. 

“Lots of planning,” Cloud said. “Dad and King Regis helped a lot too.” 

“I want in next time,” Prompto pouted. 

“We’ll see,” Cloud said. They reached the bridal suite and knocked before poking their heads in at the same time. 

“Mom?” Prompto called softly. “You up for visitors?” 

Claudia smiled from where she was sitting on the couch, “If it’s my two handsome boys, then yes, get in here and let me see you.” Cloud and Prompto entered and Claudia stood up. She was already dressed, but wearing a jacket over it while her veil and bouquet sat patiently on the vanity. 

Claudia beamed as she took in her twins and their matching outfits, “You both look adorable!” She cooed, patting their cheeks. 

“Mooom,” Both boys whined. 

“Oh hush,” Claudia chided, “Even when you both become old men you’ll still be my babies.” 

“You plan on living that long?” Cloud teased.

“Sweetie, I don’t intend on going anywhere until you do,” Claudia responded. “After all the stunts you pulled last year, I’m not taking my eyes off you ever again.” 

“C’mon, you’re glad we made that Parent Trap work, admit it,” Prompto poked. Claudia only smiled. 

“You seem...very not nervous,” Cloud observed. 

“I guess that’s because it’s the second time,” Claudia shrugged. “It’s like having kids; the first is always the hardest.” 

“How would that work, you had us at the same time,” Prompto pointed out. 

“Same principle,” Claudia waved off. 

“No, it’s not!” Prompto laughed. 

“The point is, you don’t need to worry about me,” Claudia said. “Speaking of, you should go check on your father; anything emotional is always rough for him.”

“That’s fair,” Cloud shrugged. 

“See you at the ceremony then,” Prompto said. Claudia kissed them both on the cheek and they exited the room. They headed to the room where Cor was staying and did the same ritual, knocking and then poking their heads in. 

“Dad?” Cloud called this time. 

Cor was leaning on the dresser with his hands, the jacket portion of the uniform off. He looked back and smiled seeing them, “Oh, hey you two,” He said. “Are you both ready?” Cloud and Prompto fully stepped into the room, showing their suits. 

“As we’ll ever be,” Prompto said. “Mom sent us to check in on you.” 

Cor chuckled knowingly, “That sounds about right.” 

“Are you okay?” Cloud asked.

“Not perfect, but better than I expected,” Cor said with a shrug. “I was a mess the first time; Regis and Clarus had to practically drag me out of the room.” Prompto snorted and Cloud hid a smile. Cor turned away from them again, “I guess it’s not the wedding I’m nervous about...it’s the aftermath,” He said. “There’s a good chance we could mess this up again…” 

“That won’t happen,” Prompto said, appearing by his side. 

“We’ll kick you both back into shape before it does,” Cloud added, going to his other side. 

Cor huffed out a laugh before putting his arms around them, “You two are proof that Claudia's and my stubbornness make a dangerous combination.” 

“Good thing too,” Prompto said. “Or else we probably wouldn’t be here.” Cloud nodded in agreement. 

Cor smiled and glanced at the clock, “Alright, you two should probably head on down with the others,” He led them to the door. “Let your old man have a silent mini-freakout in peace.” 

“We’ll tell Clarus to check in on you,” Cloud said. 

“Do that and you’re both grounded,” Cor warned. 

“Love you too, Dad,” Prompto chuckled.

* * *

The ceremony took place within the Citadel, kept as a semi-private affair for Luna’s sake more than anything. The Oracle remained among the audience in disguise so as not to draw attention. While her position would normally maintain that she be up by the altar with the King and Prince, she was perfectly fine with an exception being made here. 

Noctis stood near his father, both in their royal attire, both their Shields positioned nearby along with Ignis. Cloud and Prompto stood side by side on lower steps of the altar among the Glaive and Crowsnguard. 

They easily spotted AVALANCHE among the crowd, spotting Barret easily, who was standing near the back with Marlene propped on his shoulder, shooting them smiles every now and then as everyone waited in anticipation. Regis gave Cor a smile as he stood tall and proud at the altar with his formal military uniform. 

Finally, the music started, the doors opened, and Claudia slowly walked down the aisle. Claudia always seemed to take people’s breath away when she dressed up, and here it was no different. Cor’s eyes softened as he gazed at her in her pure white wedding dress, her long lace veil trailing behind her, a bouquet of flowers (handpicked by Aerith) in her hands. 

Cloud and Prompto couldn’t help but beam and steal glances at each other while the other patrons seemed utterly captivated by her beauty. Cor took her hand as she reached the altar, the two of them smiling softly at each other. They both looked at Regis and nodded, who took that as his cue to begin. 

Cloud and Prompto shared one last smile as the ceremony began, forever bringing their broken family back together, and adding more to it than ever thought possible. Their lives, and those around them, were now forever changed all thanks to a chance encounter. 

You could call it fate or luck, but either way, it was a change that was absolutely for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then, five years later when the main plots rolled around, everyone said 'Fuck you' to their respective destinies, everyone lived, and they all lived happily ever after. 
> 
> I'll admit, I put in that last line because I'm VERY curious to think about what a crossover between these two games would be like (like Noctis and crew helping with the FF7 plot and then AVALANCHE coming over to help with curb-stomping Ardyn, the gods, AND Niffleheim in FFXV) but I think I may have to wait for more of the FF7 remake to really get a grip on what that would be like. We'll see ;)
> 
> And now some random candid wedding photos that would have likely been taken during the reception of the wedding:  
> \- Cor and Claudia cutting the cake/dancing  
> \- Cloud and Prompto slow dancing with Tifa and Aerith (having a turn with both girls)  
> \- Noctis and Yuffie eating ALL the sweets  
> \- Iris dancing with Cait Sith  
> \- Both Cids drinking and smoking together  
> \- Vincent standing in the corner/getting dragged into activities by his teammates  
> \- Luna and Aerith talking with Marlene on Luna's lap  
> \- Red and Ignis talking about literally everything  
> \- Barret and Gladio getting drunk  
> \- Regis, Weskham, Cid Sophiar, Clarus, and Cor group photo (followed by one including Claudia)  
> \- And of course, a family photo with Cor, Claudia, Cloud, and Prompto
> 
> And on that note, THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!! I'm glad you enjoyed this! See ya next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Keep in mind, I'm a pretty casual FF fan, so if details escape me or if OOC-ness pops up, I apologize, I'll do my best.
> 
> And if you want to, yell at me about it @pika-ace on tumblr


End file.
